Lydia Thompson

Queen of Burlesque

Kurt Ganzl author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:29th Feb '16

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

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Lydia Thompson cover

This inaugural volume in the Forgotten Stars of the Musical Theatre series sets Lydia Thompson, queen of burlesque, under the spotlight. The series will attempt to resurrect theatre performers and writers who were famous in their era, yet who have since inexplicably faded from popular memory. Outlandish tales of Lydia's touring burlesque company, the British Blondes, and such lurid episodes as her horsewhipping of a Chicago editor, a romance with a Russian Grand Duke and a lesbian attacker have left her with a reputation as a bawdy burlesquer, but Kurt Gänzl argues she was nothing of the kind. Through this biography, the reader will learn the whole and hitherto untold story of this fascinating, multi-dimensional musical-theatre star.

"This is a thorough biography, chronicling the life of an important though somewhat neglected figure and rich in data. It introduces valuable information about Thompson as well as a wealth of primary source material." -- Elizabeth Reitz Mullenix, Theatre Journal
"The strength of this book is its detailed performance history, a history that makes clear that Thompson--far less "blonde" then [sic] she appears in legend--was no minor actress either before she crossed the Atlantic or after her American success." -- Elizabeth Reitz Mullenix, Theatre Journal
"Thompson's story is told most completely here and might certainly compel the undergraduate student and theatre aficionado." -- Elizabeth Reitz Mullenix, Theatre Journal
"An atmosphere of empathy and admiration penetrates Ganzl's depiction of this actress's career, from her boomtown days in a touring burlesque company ("British Blondes") to her last performance as Duchess of Albuquerque in Ruy Blas's A Queen's Romance." -- American Theater

ISBN: 9781138980136

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 660g

252 pages