A Wink and a Smile / Summer Student Showcase June 26, 2009

As timely as America’s newfound interest in the naughty old art of burlesque, A WINK AND A SMILE follows the progress of ten novices including a homemaker, a doctor and a taxidermist, who give themselves six weeks to transform into bare-it-all babes at Seattle’s Academy of Burlesque. Feminism meets the new eroticism as the women develop heightened body awareness while honing their graduation grinds under the tutelage of headmistress Miss Indigo Blue and her smoking-hot assistant Shanghai Pearl. The final show, in which each proud student unveils her stage persona, is priceless. DigiBeta video. (BS)

See burlesque in the flesh! Following the Friday screening, director Deirdre Timmons and Chicago's own burlesque queen Michelle L'amour will preside over the first public performance of Studio L'amour's latest graduating class. Performers making their debut on the Gene Siskel Film Center stage include: Kami Oh!, Ivy Fabulous, Vicky Sin, Elisa Purls, ZsaZsa Galore, Lana Bijou, and Lime Rickey. A very special performance by L'amour herself rounds out the program.

Official Website: http://www.artic.edu/webspaces/siskelfilmcenter/2009/june/6.html#anchor9