Le Cirque Rouge Brings Back Old Burlesque Without The Nudity, But Plenty Of Entertainment

At Le Cirque Rouge, one can see a performer wrapped in a straitjacket, singing "You're Driving Me Crazy" before she peels to a bra and panties. Another, in a cowboy hat, red checkered shirt and short shorts, strips to pasties and a thong while twirling a hula hoop to a Patsy Cline tune. At Le Cirque Rouge, the clothes come off but the underwear stay on.

For the past five years, the troupe of dancers, singers, comedians and musicians has worked hard to bring back old-time burlesque. While the show is bawdy and funny, it contains no nudity. If the show were a movie, it would have a rating of PG-13, with adult situations. The creator of the show, Amy Buchanan says the show is "neither all strippers nor a straight theater thing."

The company performs a 2 1/2-hours show twice a month, with a once a week performance in the summer. The show has about 20 performers who rate in the cast, and each shows features about 13 performers. The performers collectively agree that while it is a cabaret burlesque show, it is also theater.

Le Cirque Rouge is reminiscent of vaudeville days, with comic routines, jazzy music by a four-piece band and slapstick. Le Cirque Rouge performed in New York last May and will return in March. The troupe is negotiating for a trip to Europe.