Show-Me Burlesque is a 3 day festival dedicated to glitz, glam and fabulous burlesque, boylesque, vaudeville, circus, and variety entertainment from all over the country!

St. Louis has a rich and diverse burlesque and vaudeville history from the brilliant talent of Josephine Baker, to the heyday of Gaslight Square, where The Smothers Brothers, Phyllis Diller and Barbara Streisand got their start, and to Evelyn West and the infamous Stardust and Grand Burlesque theatres where she and many other famous burlesque dancers performed. Show-Me Burlesque is thrilled to bring St. Louis burlesque to its former grandeur with a sexy new makeover.

Today, St. Louis is blessed with an amazing and diverse group of talented entertainers who are performing all kinds of burlesque, from classic, to comedic, to edgy performance art.Lola van Ella, St. Louis’ own award winning burlesque grand dame and passionate producer, and Sammy Tramp, artistic director and visionary are proud to bring all of their favorite elements of theater, spectacle, glamour, circus, and showcasing the best talent in the world, to create Missouri’s first ever burlesque festival. In addition to four different shows, there will also be classes taught by world class burlesque educators at Van Ella Studios, St. Louis’ first and only boutique burlesque and vaudeville school. Show-Me Burlesque promises to bring a sexy and exciting weekend of fabulous and exciting entertainment and education to a wide and diverse audience. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of history!

Thursday, May 16th – Opening Night BLOWOUT at 2720 Cherokee. This is our original venue for the Beggar’s Carnivale and has hosted some of our favorite shows. It’s rowdy, it’s warm, and it’s a BLAST to perform there. After a meet and greet at Van Ella Studios, we will WALK the red carpet to the venue (half a block away!) to kick off the incredible weekend of shows ahead.

Friday, May 17th - We are THRILLED to be making our largest announcement yet with the opening of our new venue, The Royal Brick Hall! Making the grandest of grand openings, The Royal Brick Hall will host our Friday Night Spectacular and late night Red Light District Revue featuring scintillating performers and our Show Me Burlesque Orchestra. It will be an ELECTRIC evening!
Saturday, May 18th – Once again, we return to our home venue, the huge, historic and fabulous Casa Loma Ballroom to bring you the most over-the-top, “cirque du soleil on a whiskey bender”, “fantasy fuled experience”, “gin soaked, vaudeville cloaked, gypsy burlesque extravaganza” that is The Beggar’s Carnivale! The show, midway, hooch tent, peep show, carnival games, vendors, live music, fire breathing, high flying, and striptacular event will leave everyone exhausted, sore and happy…the way it should :)

In addition to all the shows there will also be sexy after parties and soirees, courtesy of VanElla Studios and other local favorite night life hot spots.

Join us for the St. Louis event of the year!

Festival Staff

Lola Van Ella – Executive Producer, performer, instructor and emcee

Sammich the Tramp – Producer, artistic director, performer

Megan Cahill – Education Director, Administrator, Production Manager, & “Stage Mama”

Jeez Loueez – Sponsorship coordinator, performer

Blue Barber – Stage manager

Alessandra Plattner – Performer liaison, box office and ticketing manager

Sandi Powell – Vending and backstage coordinatrix

Matthew Prather – Photography & video liaison and security coordinator

Greta Garter – Show-Me Burlesque Festival Ambassador, performer

Roland Kramer – Hospitality Coordinator

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