Photo courtesy Pretty Things
Pretty is as pretty does. And the last time the Pretty Things
burlesque show came to Nocturnal, it was to bump and to grind and to
perform amazing feats of skill and courage to electrify a crowd
searching in nightlife’s neon glow for a little something special that
they can’t get at home. The troupe’s return trip to Madison Avenue on
Saturday, July 25th, is even more educational. The Pretty Things are
coming to town to share their knowledge of vintage hair and makeup
techniques in its “How To Be a Pin-Up Girl” class.
Although sexually suggestive art is very nearly as old as art
itself, the pin-up is an atomic-age phenomenon popularized by World War
II soldiers who clipped photos of Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable from
movie magazines and fighter pilots who painted glamour girls on their
planes. Almost 70 years later, hit movies and beautiful women are still
known as blockbusters and bombshells. As pin-up art evolved in the
1950s, it borrowed naughty imagery from burlesque shows, and, in turn,
contemporary burlesque shows take their visual cues from the pin-up
artwork of Alberto Vargas and the photographic legacy of pin-up queen
Bettie Page.
The Pretty Things describe their class as a “body positive
experience,” teaching that “glamour has no age, height, or weight
requirement.” How to Be a Pin-Up Girl costs $200, with a $25 deposit.
It includes a pin-up girl makeover and photo shoot. After class, the
Pretty Things are hosting an
open-to-the-public happy hour
featuring swing and rockabilly music from 7 to 9 p.m.
