Friday, May 25, 2007

SF Weekly Best of Issue 2007
Best Burlesque
Best Burlesque Revue

The Cantankerous Lollies

Since 1995, the Cantankerous Lollies have been upping the ante on the art of coquetry with their distinctly DIY approach to taking it off. Founded by Harvest Moon, one of the nation's most vaunted showgirls, this troupe of vaudeville hotties spearheaded the West Coast neo-burlesque movement — birthing a panoply of pasty-loving adherents in the process. The great thing about the Lollies is that they're both sexy and riotously funny, replacing gratuitous T&A with entertainment. Whether they're regaling us with Montmartre-style cabarets, synchronized can-can dances, or acrobatic feats with hula hoops and parasols, the Lollies deftly mix hippodrome antics with classic theatre kitsch. And we love them even more because of Suzanne "Kitten on the Keys" Ramsey, an erstwhile Lollie known for her glamour-soaked, satirical piano cabaret. With the ba-ba-boom accompaniment of San Francisco's Famous Burlesque Orchestra, the Lollies are all about the classic tease, which necessitates leaving lots to the imagination — but they're too clever and unpredictable to be mistaken for any old striptease act.

Sass! Sequins! Songs!