Vaudeville and burlesque sound like entertainment from a bygone era, but the spirit of these variety acts is kept alive by Tuscaloosa’s own troupe, Pink Box Burlesque.
“We really enjoy the Vaudeville theatre from the early 1800s so we try and replicate that,” Pink Box Burlesque founder Mama Dixie said. “Our performers put themselves in a time frame, so we have performers that celebrate anywhere from the 1880s to the 1940s.”
Pink Box Burlesque performs six to 12 times a year. The performances typically include live music, singing, dancing, skits and plenty of costumes. They also feature a range of colorful cast members, including an orphaned aristocrat and a Great Depression-era singer who was raised on a plantation. Mama Dixie started Pink Box Burlesque in 2008 with the intention of hosting a single benefit show. After tickets for the first show sold quickly, she strongly considered doing a second show. Six years later, Pink Box is still performing.
While PBB is the only act of its kind in Tuscaloosa, the troupe is part of a large community of burlesque troupes that fall into either the Vaudeville style, like PBB, or Las Vegas style, which focuses more on individuals and choreography. Mama Dixie said the burlesque community is supportive and welcoming because of the nature of positive self-expression.
“There’s a pretty large [burlesque] culture, and we quickly reached out to those around us because we wanted to join the larger community, and it’s always been very welcoming,” Mama Dixie said. “It’s a huge support system, and it’s that way because the underpinning of burlesque is letting people pursue whatever they choose as a positive way to express themselves.”
In addition to participating in the greater burlesque community, PBB also contributes to the Tuscaloosa community through charity. Ticket sales from many of their shows benefit causes such as the Bama Theatre Restoration Fund. Mama Dixie said charity is important to PBB because it gives them the opportunity to return the love they have received.
“We feel very strongly that the community is an invaluable part of the city,” she said. “It’s important for us to give back to the community the love that they give to us. We love Tuscaloosa, and that’s all the more reason that we should show our love whenever we can.”
To become part of the culture of burlesque, you may be able to join PBB as a performer through an audition if you are 18 or older. PBB holds open auditions up to three times a year and may audition individuals between open calls on a case-by-case basis.
“I would say that everybody has a special talent, and if this is what you’re being called to do with your special talent, you just need to come on down and do it,” PBB performer Tesla Coil said. “We look 10 feet tall and bulletproof onstage, but really, we’re a friendly, kind bunch of people who are always looking for additions to the troupe.”
If students are interested in performing but are not ready to take the stage or are interested in getting experience as theatre support staff, PBB also offers internships. Front-of-house interns cover roles such as ticket sales and merchandise, while back-of-house interns work as stagehands and backstage support. Mama Dixie said it is common for interns to transition into performers.
The PBB performers have several upcoming shows planned and have already scheduled events for the beginning of next season. On Oct. 12 they will host their 6th annual masquerade at Green Bar, and Oct. 25 they will host their season closer “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Bama Theatre.
