IT’S OK TO GET SAUCED FOR
STUNNING SAUCY STRIPPERS
AND SPECTACULAR SAUCERS, OR
MAY THE TORSO BE WITH YOU
Forget about Broadway or the latest Marvel Comic movie. The fun, hip and cool burlesque Star Wars parody — which isn’t just for fans of the franchise — is the show to see live onstage. Surprised by the professionalism and awesome set pieces, I was truly won over. This is for audiences who just want to let go and party, and the abundance of cocktails didn’t hurt. At intermission, a woman in line for drinks said, “I never knew I had an inner lesbian until now.” Once I knocked back a few, I imagined Darth Vader saying, “I find your lack of clothes undisturbing.”
No stranger to L.A., Burlesque started in the nineteenth century and combines comedy, camp, and adult entertainment with a lot of sexual innuendo. The Empire Strips Back, created by Russall S. Beattie, was originally conceived in Sydney, Australia in 2011 and traveled all over the continent. In 2016, The Huffington Post wrote an article that went viral, the show started playing elsewhere, and the rest is history. The raucous and fun experience may have originated Down Under, but it’s definitely a Hollywood show that will work in any city. Fast-forward to three simultaneous productions constantly touring North America, and an enthusiastic audience of over 300,000+, and The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody is making a return to Los Angeles, California on October 10 at The Montalbán Theatre after its successful run in 2022 (see my review). Tickets are available at theempirestripsback.com.
As you would gather, this vaudeville parody uses many familiar props and puppets, along with American pop music, to support sexy dancers with hot bodies as they subtly strip in choreographed numbers: A female Luke Skywalker twerks to Nicki Minaj as she hoses off her shuttlecraft; Princess Leia gyrates in a bikini to Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer”; and sultry dancers swing their lightsabers accompanied by an amazingly scintillating light show. Expect sexy Stormtroopers, a Darth Vader that makes you want to join the dark side, and even a seductive bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Sure, it’s cheesecake, and the dancers here are more stag party than artistic Burlesque like Gypsy Rose Lee or Dita Von Teese, but it’s a blood-pumping good time, with terrific choreography by Lisa Toyer and James Barry. There is a little beefcake from a gymnast who practically steals the show in a number with a very hard-working Chewbacca that is worth the price of admission. The rebels have definitely landed. May the torso be with you.
photos by Craig Ridgwell
The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody
Foster Entertainment and Neil Gooding ProductionsThe Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine St. in Hollywood
about 2 hours including a 15-minute intermission
Thurs at 7:30; Fri at 7; Sat at 7 & 9:30; Sun at 4
October 10-December 1, 2024
for tickets (Starting at $44), visit Empire Strips Back
Disclaimer: This is a parody production. Star Wars™ and its characters are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd or Lucasfilm Ltd. This production is not sponsored, endorsed by or affiliated with Disney, Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd, Lucasfilm Ltd or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and/or third-party licensors.
