Dita von Teese shows are magical.
Last year, my husband Jordan took me to see her perform at the Roxy for my birthday, and I had one of the most fun nights of my life. So when he bought us tickets again to go see her over the weekend, I was thrilled…but also skeptical. Could it possibly be as much fun as it was the first time?
The answer turned out to be no. It wasn’t as much fun; it was Way More Fun.
Dita’s numbers seemed bigger this time, more beautiful, more spectacular—possibly because of a larger stage than the Roxy. It was like being transported back to the Moulin Rouge. The entire night was incredible. I have a longtime love of burlesque (proper burlesque, that is), stemming from my childhood obsession with the Natalie Wood movie Gypsy. When I was younger, I got so excited when I found out my local playhouse would be staging a production of Gypsy, and I even went to audition for a role as one of the aging burlesque dancers—until I realized they called for actresses around the age of 45. (I was just sixteen, not sure what I was thinking.) There were also other bits along my life that inspired me, like Sally Rand’s Bubble Dance and anything to do with the luminous Josephine Baker.
So when I discovered Miss Dita, I was instantly in love. She’s a true artist, dedicated wholly to the beauty of burlesque—which had been totally dead to many since the 1940s—and being absolutely amazing it. She loves her art, which makes her audience love it too. She’s pristine and gorgeous, with an obviously kind spirit. She’s an icon, both in burlesque and fashion. Her fans are passionate creatures who adore her and the spectacle of her shows.
There are many things to love about a Dita von Teese performance: being in the presence of a legend is always wonderful, for one; enjoying the thrill of an old-fashioned, carnival-esque act, and getting to be part of something big, and lovely, and playful, and well done, and cinematic, and exciting.
But one of my very favorite things about a Dita von Teese show is her audience. They are sweet, interesting people who are happy to be there. They love her, and they love the atmosphere. In fact, they are the atmosphere: I was fascinated to once again see wall-to-wall vintage, red lipstick, and 40s-style hair throughout the evening.
I took loads of photos of stunning Dita von Teese fans. Here are a few shots that survived the low lighting and my champagne-induced photography:
Didn’t they look amazing? And here’s what I, myself, looked like. Vintage suspenders, everyone.
Here’s a group shot with my friends Madeline, Jackie, and myself with Murray Hill and the fabulous Dirty Martini (peeking behind me—I didn’t even know she was there, but I’m so glad she was).
I must take a moment and say that my husband Jordan made the night especially fun. Not only did he patiently hold my spot at the front while I ran around snapping photos; he also snatched a souvenir for me—a sparkly pink arrow-like thing that Dita removed from a costume and tossed into the crowd at one point. Thirdly, Jordan got chosen to come onstage and show off his dance moves for (the amazing) Murray Hill. As soon as Jordan was chosen, I knew the audience was in for it:
Because of his lovely dance moves, he ended up winning another amazing keepsake from the night for me: this dazzling program. It’s hanging on our wall now.
Shows like this are one of the reasons I love living in Los Angeles. It was nothing less than a brilliant night of fun, vintage, and the art of burlesque. Thank you, Dita, for keeping it perfect.
This post was written by Tori.
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