THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK: A BURLESQUE PARODY Returns to Los Angeles

The internationally acclaimed The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody will make its highly-anticipated return to Los Angeles, California on October 10 at The Montalbán Theatre after an extremely successful run in 2022. 
 
Featuring parodies of all of the classic characters, The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody takes audiences to a galaxy far, far away, creating one of the most unforgettable (and unauthorized) theatrical interpretations of the beloved franchise.
 
Transporting audiences to a world of burlesque fantasy, of menacing and sexy dance, of dangerous seduction, of hilarious parody, and even the droids you're looking for. Your favorite characters are scantily clad, seriously sultry and live on stage!
 
The Empire Strips Back celebrates a resurgence of burlesque, while delivering a fun and rowdy experience for fans of the art form as well as the classic film series. Ariana Bindman of SF Gate said, “Popularized in the U.S. in the 19th century, burlesque blurs the line between comedy and adult entertainment, incorporating camp and theater in playful strip routines.”
 
Bindman continued, “Dark and sexy … with each draw of the curtain, we saw a series of acts that were visually decadent and tonally unique … a captive Princess Leia gyrating in a bikini to the Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’ or sexy stormtroopers stomp to the relentless ‘Seven Nation Army’ … or resident space pimp, R2D2 making rain by ejecting wads of cash into the air while a braggadocious Han Solo undulated to ‘Smooth Criminal’ making every goth and nerd in the audience scream like animals.” 
 
She concludes, “I saw the Star Wars strip show and now I’m forever changed.  An enormous success … one of the most memorable and impressive live performances I’ve ever seen.  I know that The Force is already with them.”
 
The original version was booked in a cramped, 150-seat bar in Sydney, a one-off for a three-night run. Fast-forward to three simultaneous productions constantly touring North America, an enthusiastic audience of over 300,000+, and a Huffington Post video feature boasting 20+ million viral views.
 
This little-show-that-could morphed from touring like an indie band, with one-nighters in rock clubs, to touring like a Broadway hit. (And a lot more fun than any of those!) After proving its theatrical bonafides at Hollywood’s Montalbán Theatre in a three-month 2022 run, the show has done three to four month runs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, DC, Boston, Atlanta and many others. Outside the USA, the show was a sensation in Paris in 2023and, also in French, Montreal, as well as Toronto and Mexico City (where it’s also playing during the Los Angeles engagement).
 
“The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody is an entertainment comedy that is unique. We are excited to see The Empire Strips Back return to Hollywood. In 2022, we had two months of SOLD-OUT performances and spontaneous standing ovations at The Montalbán Theatre. Our theatre team is working to repeat and generate new fun and prosperity to our Hollywood community with The Empire Strips Back.” – Gilbert Smith, President of The Montalbán Company.
 
This engagement of The Empire Strips Back is produced by Foster Entertainment and Neil Gooding Productions, presented with Fever. The show was created by Russall S. Beattie.
 

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