Queen of Burlesque

The life and times of a legend of the nineteenth-century musical theatre. Lydia Thompson is one of the legends of the musical theatre, but today—150 years after her first appearance on any stage and nearly a century after her death—it has become difficult to separate the facts of her life and career from the mass of fan fictions. 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, readers will learn the whole, untold story of this fascinating, multidimensional musical-theatre star. Lydia was one of the most technically skilled and effective dancers of her generation, a dazzling comedienne who played during her career opposite some of the great comic actors—classic and low—of her day. She also possessed a pretty soprano voice and had a deliciously winning way with a popular song. In this second edition, the author has added new information about Lydia’s life and career based on newly discovered manuscripts, archival records, newspaper notices, and his relentless research into the life and times of the nineteenth-century theatre. An entirely new section highlights the lives and careers of the leading "British Blondes," the comely costars of Lydia's touring companies, many of whom enjoyed long careers in the late Victorian theatre. Richly illustrated with period photographs—many never before reprinted—this book restores Lydia and her crew to their rightful place in theatrical history.