burlesque
[key] [Ital.,=mockery], form of entertainment differing from comedy
or farce in that it achieves its effects through caricature, ridicule, and
distortion. It differs from satire in that it is devoid of any ethical
element. The word first came into use in the 16th cent. in an opera of the
Italian Francesco Berni, who called his works burleschi.
Early English burlesque often ridiculed celebrated literary works,
especially sentimental drama. Beaumont and Fletcher's Knight of the
Burning Pestle (1613), Buckingham's The
Rehearsal (1671), Gay's Beggar's Opera (1728),
Fielding's Tom Thumb (1730), and Sheridan's
Critic (1779) may be classed as dramatic burlesque. In
the 19th cent. English burlesque depended less on parody of literary styles
and models. H. J. Bryon was a major writer of the new, pun-filled burlesque.
The extravaganza and burletta were forms of amusement similar to burlesque,
the latter being primarily a musical production. They were performed in
small theaters in an effort to evade the strict licensing laws that forbade
major dramatic productions to these theaters. American stage burlesque (from
1865), often referred to as “burleycue” or “leg
show,” began as a variety show, characterized by vulgar dialogue and
broad comedy, and uninhibited behavior by performers and audience. Such
stars as Al Jolson, W. C.
Fields, and
Mae West began
their careers in burlesque. About 1920 the term began to refer to the
“strip-tease” show, which created its own stars, such as Gypsy
Rose Lee (b. Rose Louise Hovick, 1911-1970); in c.1937 burlesque
performances in New York City were banned. Tempest Storm (b. Annie Blanche
Banks, 1928-2021) famously stripped into her 80s, having perhaps the longest
career in the industry. Burlesque enjoyed a revival beginning in the 1980s
with a new generation of performers taking its traditions to diverse
audiences.
See studies by C. V. Clinton-Baddeley (1952, repr. 1974); R. P. Bond (1932,
repr. 1964), J. D. Jump (1972), and K. Regehr and M. Temperley (2017).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Theater
