Burlesque: Seattle's Best Kept Secret?

People say a lot of things about Seattle: It's rainy; it's progressive; it's metronatural. But words like sexy and edgy don't usually make the list.

Well, at least they didn't make my list - until now. Recently, I was surprised to learn that Seattle has one of the biggest and baddest (that's a compliment) burlesque scenes in the country. You could even say it's been a pioneer in burlesque's recent resurgence. Here are just a few of its offerings, considering there are too many to list:

• Burlesque Behind The Pink Door - Burlesque shows every Saturday at 10 p.m. at this Italian restaurant in Pike Place Market.
  
• Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque: Learn the art of burlesque and perform at a recital at the end of the course.
• Seattle's Moisture Festival - An annual festival in the spring that features variety theater, vaudeville and burlesque performances.
• Burning Hearts Burlesque - A collective of producers putting on shows around the city throughout the year.
• Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcraker - A recent, yearly Christmas tradition at the Triple Door with 17+ and 21+ shows.
• Cabaret/Burlesque/Variety event listings from Seattle Weekly.
  

Burlesque isn't for everybody (and it's not for all ages either - be sure to check listings). But like it or not, its resurgence is a reminder that Seattle isn't just about nature and technology - it's also got a colorful and subversive cultural side that's worth a mention, especially to my visitors from New York who think they've seen it all.
By Shiwani Srivastava