Brazen Belles Do it Again!

By: Elise Hugus, May 11, 2012

Don Parkinson - A whole lotta leg at the Brazen Belles first performance at Grumpy's Pub on May 10.

It was standing room only yet again for the Brazen Belles’ show Thursday night at Grumpy's Pub. Rumor has it, this is just the beginning of a monthly burlesque residency at the dive bar.

Maybe they’ll have to start calling it Smiley’s…

The Brazen Belles are nine lovely ladies from Falmouth who banded together during the doldrums of winter under the direction of Aanjes Hershfield, a/k/a Scarlet Fever. Riding a wave of national interest in burlesque, the Belles look forward to popping Cape Cod's cherry with original vaudeville skits, hilarious songs and racy choreographed dances from Woods Hole to Provincetown. Stay tuned to our calendar for upcoming shows!

Despite the connotations of pasties and tassels, burlesque is so much more than a strip tease. Born out of the sexual rebellion of the post-Victorian era, burlesque is a multi-faceted art form, heavy in social and political satire.

In addition to burlesque-style dance, the troupe explores vaudeville silent comedy skits, which play around with gender roles—also a burlesque tradition.

Call it silly, call it scandalous, there is no doubt that they knew how to have fun in the 1930s. So what if there was a full-scale depression and a ban on booze? Nothing a corset, garters and moonshine can’t fix!

Things have certainly changed since the 30s, of course, and also since the 60s, when women were burning their bras and wouldn’t be caught dead shakin’ their fannies on stage. But in the 10s, it seems burlesque has come full circle. Is this part of a new women’s liberation movement, where snaps and bustles are no longer the trappings of women’s sexuality, but the ticket to a sisterhood of self-assured, sassy feminists?

Maybe we’re reading too much into this whole burlesque phenomenon. The real question on your mind (if you haven’t been to a show yet) is surely… do they really take it off?

Our lips are sealed, dear readers. You’re just going to have to see for yourself.