Press

The Underpants Show a huge success!

• PIONEER PRESS
• The Underpants Show
• A rare case of truth in advertising, this show offers a bona-fide, old time burlesque show — complete with novelty acts, singers, ribald comedians and — of course — lovely ladies wearing next to nothing. Because the venue is in Nordeast Minneapolis, it starts out with a polka — "The Strip Polka," of course — but the three-piece onstage band goes gleefully downhill from there. You may never listen to "I Fall to Pieces" in exactly the same way again, and you'll be amazed — amazed, I say! — to discover who man's best friend actually is.
• -Dominic P. Papatola
• STAR TRIBUNE
• The Underpants Show
• You will come for the titillation, but stay for the smiles in this affectionate homage to the slightly naughty side of vaudeville. Lili's Burlesque presents tangy tunes, smart jokes and strippers who are more humorous than salacious. The singers are great, the band bumps and grinds with the beat and the dancers have just the right tongue-in-cheek attitude. You'll want to tip your bowler hat and light up a cigar after watching this tart slice of yesteryear. Not for the kids, but if you're adult, you can handle it.
• -Graydon Royce
• MNARTISTS.ORG
• The Underpants Show is a misnomer. I saw panties, scanties, g-strings, hip-frills, thigh-highs, and garter belts galore, but nothing I would really identify as "underpants". Of course, "underpants" is really a nod to the show's Midwestern setting, and the Lili's Burlesque Revue gang (that's what this show is called when it's not Fringe) milk the tension between Midwest and (nearly) bare breast for all it's worth. There's a lot of "Oh, gee!" innocence to the peel-down patter, which plays surprisingly well, especially in a blinkingly blue monologue delivered by "Funny Bunny," in which (let's just say) one word gets substituted for another with hilarious results. Our hostess, Nadine Dubois, also has a girl-next-door charm, exclaiming "Did you know that was me?" after she's done a striptease in a wig (and while she's still wearing her silver pasties).
• But the Underpants people are no amateurs. Starting from the dancehall swing of their band, the Gilded Lilies, and an Andrews Sisters-type rendition of the "Strip Polka," Lili's Burlesque Revue rolls out the talent, and it keeps coming: in the form of Ophelia Flame, she of the glittery shoes and amazing legs; Sweetpea, with her breathtaking hourglass figure and her equally breathtaking motor booty; more lovely singing (including a version of "I Fall to Pieces" featuring, yes, a tear-away dress), more stripping, and a few sweet novelty acts.
• This is a tight, fun show, and I suggest seeing it as a post-cocktail reward after putting yourself through whatever grueling theater experience your Fringe-frenzied friends have insisted you just can't miss.
• Postmodern burlesque does call forth a confusion that will surely be studied in some cultural studies Ph.D. dissertation. I have to say that, no matter how many odd little lingerie items these women toss off in the course of a routine, I'm never really prepared for the pasties. Why? There's something so vulnerable, so unscripted about real breasts. And make no mistake, these are the real thing--cage-free and free-range; they don't have the pumped and plastic pec look of HBO or Hollywood breasts. When they're unveiled, the whole male gaze/self-objectification/girl power/femininity mess goes into overdrive. (I understand some viewers have no such reaction. To them, I can only say, "Keep hooting, guys.") This isn't a complaint. Instead, it's a tension that I hope the postmodern burlesquers will find some way to address.
• -Lightsey Darst
• TWO AUDIENCE REVIEWS from the FRINGE FESTIVAL WEBSITE:
• This show's got legs!
• This fun burlesque/variety show has something for everyone (as long as you're over 18). The ladies put on a fine show, as do the "supporting cast" of men, and the band's got chops. Nice integration of live music and recorded music. Go see this show, and bring your friends with you!
• -Random Audience Member
• My favorite Fringe show ever
• So much fun that I will be going a second time. It was hilarious, high energy, and hot as hell.
• -Melissa Beukema

• Mpls has a new, much needed publication and members of Lili's are honored to be in it's first edition.

• Revealing History - The Hennepin History Museum reveals 150 years of burlesque.

• A new exhibit featuring Lili's chronicles the glamour and the grit of the Twin Cities’ burlesque history.

• "I've seen the other 2 Burlesques in town and you are the prize... The Hope Diamond of Twin Cities Burlesque!"

• Burlesque: More Sass Than Skin
• all photos from Lili's!

• A small group of wild women were blessed with Nadine's presence at First Ave. last evening, and wanted to send fan mail today. The Riverboat Queen is a goddess, pure and simple.
• We will gather the troops and once again descend upon your fine establishment posthaste.
• Smooches,
• Pussy Wizard

• Lili's Burlesque Revue
• Saturday night I had dinner with my family and was mocked endlessly about the certain air a golden Cadillac might exude.
• I have so far been promised a hat and a cane.
• I still think a gold Cadillac is more about Elvis than being a pimp in the 'hood.... but that's just my age talking I guess.
• But after dinner I changed into black jeans, a scarlet silk shirt and a black suit coat and headed into the warehouse district in Minneapolis.
• My partner in crime for the evening had done some preliminary research and we knew just the place to go: Lili's Burlesque Revue
• Sadly, I missed the first dancer or two was we did not arrive until 10:30. The stated show time is 10:00.
• The club was... intimate. It was a red room, basically unadorned, with a high ceiling and a stage in one corner. There were three musicians playing a stand-up double bass, drums, and an electric guitar that looked straight out of 1953. Those boys were superb.
• A woman calling herself Nadine Dubois was the mistress of ceremonies for the evening. She was not at all above demanding drink money from audience members. She allowed men and women both to place these "tips" in her stockings.
• Ah! Stockings! There were so many on display during the night! Heavenly!
• Miss Dubois had a good rapport with the audience, sang a few songs and did burlesque herself. Joy!
• There were several performers that night: Vica, Lola Bel Aire, Lady Luck. The stage assistant for the evening Chloe Wilder got into the act as well. All of the women were really beautiful, each in her way. I made several trips to the stage and the tip purse. I'm such a sucker for legs.
• The stand-out performer of the evening, though, was Coco Dupree. She was easily the most commanding stage presence and the most artful of the performers. She was arguably the star of the show.
• I really enjoyed myself at the show, and if you're in Minneapolis on the weekend I must highly recommend it!

• Revisiting Lili's Burlesque Revue

• greetings, i just had to toss off a line to say i'm a believer! i was at doug stanhope's show at the triple rock on saturday and screamed myself hoarse with delight during the all-too-brief show put on courtesy of lili's burlesque. my heart thumps for sweetpea. keep up the good work and so filth - er, forth.
• woohoo

• Get Thee to Lili's!

• Hot Stuff

• Burlesque shows stride into midwest
  
  Read Online at www.MNDaily.com

• "I was impressed by their vivacity and technique, not to mention their flawless makeup, coiffure and costumes."

• Had the pleasure of catching your show last Saturday night and wanted to drop a line and say Bravo!!!!!! In fact, I have so much fun that I'm usually hung over for weeks afterwards, limiting my visits to once or twice a year.....so, until next time, keep up the A-1+ entertainment..........When I visit a place like yours I know that there is hope for Minneapolis....
• The Southside Aces are the BEST......as with all your entertainers, especially Miss Coco......

• "The Lili's girls stole the show!"
• "Nadine Dubois was sassy and brassy. We LOVE her!"
• "Karen's singing was amazing, and the band was fantastic."
• "When the pasties came out, the crowd went wild. The girls were fabulous!"

• Painting with a Broad Blush: Lavender Magazine talks about Lili's grand involvement with DIVA Blush - known as the best party in the Twin Cities!

• "The near-capacity crowd... yowl and applaud..."
• "...Lili's is the Land of Peekaboo..."
• "...the show has an innocent, PG-13 feel. Lili's is a variety show, mixing bawdy comedy, clowning, mildly suggestive dancing, and music."

• "...Thursday through Saturday night you can be transported to another place and time."
• "...the whole joint breaks into a spontaneous bout of dancing..."