AN ECDYSIAST EXTRAVAGANZA IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.
The Bijou Theatre has seen many a burlesque dancer cross its century old stage. The mid-century decline of the burlesque industry aligned with the historic theatre’s repurposing as a home for cinema and for decades there was no striptease in The Bijou’s spotlights. The Smoky Mountain Burlesque Festival, now in its third year, is pleased to bring a selection of world-class ecdysiasts from across the nation and beyond to the Bijou and various other venues throughout the city.
This years’ selection of festival headliners include The Burlesque Hall of Fames 2004 Miss Exotic World Dirty Martini (New York, NY), self-described female-female impersonator and infamous burlesque host World Famous Bob (Austin, TX), and regionally renowned performers Dangrrr Doll (Raleigh, NC), Evelyn Vinyl (Nashville, TN), and May Hemmer (Sanford, NC). Also featured in the weekend of events are emcee Blanche DeBris (Las Vegas, NV) and returning guest The Bishop of Burlesque (New York, NY).
The weekend experience also includes an educational component with various classes and workshops available to festival attendees and the general public. Learn more about the SMBF here.
THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN BURLESQUE FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE OVER THREE DAYS AT THREE VENUES.
THE SCRUFFY CITY SHOWCASE
Thursday, Sept 13th – 8PM
The Edge
7211 Kingston Pike
Ages 18+
The first of four performance showcases presented at the festival features a mix of both regional and national entertainers hand-picked to whet your appetite for the weekend to come.
THE BURLESQUE BARNBURNER
Friday, Sept 14th – 8PM
The Concourse
940 Blackstock Ave
Ages 18+
The second of four performance showcases presented at the festival will demonstrate diverse interpretations of the striptease archetype, ranging from the traditional to the unexpected, performed mostly by artists from the surrounding states. This showcase features regional headliner Evelyn Vinyl (Nashville, TN) and is hosted by World Famous Bob (Austin, TX).
THE LATE NIGHT NERDLESQUE REVUE
Friday, Sept 14th – 11PM
The Concourse
940 Blackstock Ave
Ages 18+
The third of four performance showcases focuses on burlesque inspired by pop culture and nerd fandom. See striptease talent disguised as your favorite characters from Star Trek to Sesame Street. This showcase features headliners Dangrrr Doll (Raleigh, NC) and May Hemmer (Sanford, NC).
ROCKY TOPLESS
Saturday, Sept 15th – 8PM
The Bijou Theatre
803 S Gay St
Ages 18+
The final performance showcase of the weekend features a line-up of nationally-known, award-winning performers covering a wide spectrum of talents and styles. This world-class cast includes 21st Century Burlesque Magazine’s #2 Most Influential Burlesque Figure of the Decade, Dirty Martini (New York, NY) and is hosted by Blanche DeBris (LasVegas, NV).
Tickets go on sale on Friday, August 10th @ 10AM ET
