The Scene
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Before she was Dita Von Teese, Los Angeles-based burlesque star extraordinaire, she was Heather Sweet from West Branch, Michigan. Von Teese's Michigan roots likely explain why her Detroit stop on last year's The Art of the Teese tour was said to have been its fastest-selling show at that point.
The good news for Von Teese's Midwest admirers: The superstar has announced a return to Detroit's Fillmore on Thursday, May 10. Tickets are $35-$100 and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 here.
She's been called the "the most famous stripper in America," but Von Teese's burlesque show isn't your average gentleman's club performance. Last year, her tour featured a giant martini glass, a mechanical bull, and a lineup of some of the world's best burlesque dancers.
Dubbed the Dita Von Teese and the Copper Coupe Revue, the new act is set to feature burlesque performers Gia Genevieve, Dirty Martini, Ginger Valentine, Jett Adore, Zelia Rose, and more. According to a press release, it includes a new copper-coated set as well as new and elaborate props, including a giant Venus-like seashell:
The new Dita Von Teese and the Copper Coupe show will be infused with glimmering copper elements throughout. The grand finale act will feature the new "Copper Coupe," part of her stunning signature cocktail glass act with a new giant shimmering copper filigree cocktail coupe adorned with Swarovski crystal. Another inspired act will see Dita appearing in a giant-sized seashell on stage with 1,200 pearl balloons that float from the sky. Dita dances with a six-foot bubble pearl, a modern tribute to Sally Rand’s iconic 1930s era bubble dance. The costume, created by British designer Jenny Packham, sparkles with thousands of hand-placed Swarovski crystals and pearls. The shoes are a fetishistic masterpiece created by Christian Louboutin just for Dita’s performance.
We spoke to Von Teese last year about her live show and her fans:
But as Von Teese's show grew from headlining strip clubs to the elaborate stage show it is today, she says she noticed her audience change: from primarily straight males to primarily females and gay men. Von Teese calls her new audience part of "an unlikely feminist movement" — "something that's vastly different than what it was during burlesque's heyday ... and definitely different than what I think strip clubs are known for."
Revisit our 2017 cover story here.
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