Matan Shavit
Entertainment Editor

Every Thursday, Hell’s Kitchen Lounge hosts Brick City Burlesque. Burlesque is like a variety show for stripping. The acts, though, are not the mere removal of clothing. They are fully choreographed performances to music complete with acting, seduction, and a sense of humor. Approaching female nudity with an irreverent tongue-in-cheek wit, Brick City Burlesque is sexy and funny, and captivates the audience throughout.
Popularized in the United States in the 19th century, burlesque evolved as a mix of adult entertainment, a performing art, and satiric comedy. Burlesque often draws focus to the female form, but the main attractions are the actresses themselves. Modern burlesque is often thought of as classier than traditional stripping because of the artistic quality of the show.
At Brick City Burlesque, performers Minnie Tonka and Philly Caramel appeared on stage last Thursday.
Each of them was featured in three acts. Minnie Tonka performed a Mary Tyler Moore routine to the theme song from the show, danced in a gold dress in a more erotic style, and finished with a reverse strip tease. The last one was the only instance of full nudity in the show, though it was right at the beginning. For someone putting clothing on, it was oddly compelling. It felt as though she reversed the paradigm of taking clothes off, but still did it seductively.
Philly Caramel performed in an industrial themed costumed, as a drunkard, and as a pink poodle to happy, old-timey music. All three were laugh out loud funny, but the drunken stripping was raucously hilarious. Fumbling with her clothing, she kept a goofy grin on her face the whole time, finally revealing that she had mismatched the pasties covering her otherwise exposed breasts.
Both performers preserved the allure and teasing of burlesque, while letting their personalities add genuine humor. They made liberal use of facial and bodily expression, and both responded well to the music and to the crowd, interacting well with everyone. Spectators were cheering, screaming, whistling, and laughing, and often all four together.
The performances were spaced throughout the evening, with each girl appearing once, and then taking a half hour break before the next set of two acts. This was clever on the part of the organizers because it compelled people to stay and see more each time, while letting them pause to talk about the show, socialize, and of course, order more drinks.
Between acts, the host announced to the audience that the girls would only keep dancing if the crowd applauded and tipped enough. He then drew everyone’s attention to the pole dancer, Rizzle Dizzle.
The bar itself is moderately priced with a pretty good selection of beers, mixed drinks, and liquor. The kitchen is closed by the time the show starts however, so the night menu consists solely of cold sandwiches. That late at night, most people are not ordering food.
Overall, Brick City Burlesque is a fantastic form of entertainment, and although seeing the whole show will take all night, viewers should stick around to see every act.
The show starts at 11PM every Thursday at Hell’s Kitchen Lounge. You must be 21 or over to attend. With no cover charge and the promise of an amazing show, it is well worth attending.
To find out more about Brick City Burlesque at Hell’s Kitchen Lounge, visit www.hellskitchenlounge.com or search YouTube for some performances.

Matan Shavit is a junior in Applied Math and Computer Science. He can be reached at entertainment@njitvector.com.