(Editor’s note: Despite the somewhat risqué subject matter, all of the links are safe and contain no nudity.)
The Burlesque Hall of Fame, formerly Exotic World Museum off Route 66 in Helendale, Calif., opened to the public in its new digs in downtown Las Vegas this week, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Exotic World became a treasured destination for many Route 66 travelers because of the sincere hospitality of longtime curator Dixie Evans, a former Marilyn Monroe-impersonating burlesque dancer.
A recent video shows Evans’ outsized personality (but shows no skin, so the clip is safe for work):
An isolated location and deteriorating facilities hampered Exotic World. So the museum packed up and moved to Las Vegas in 2006 until a permanent home could be found. The news of the moving saddened many on Route 66, but admitted that Las Vegas was a terrific location for a such a museum.
I saw no mention of Evans in the Las Vegas newspaper’s story. But this news release from the Hall of Fame shows she’s still the curator and that she’s alive and well:
“The living legends love to be there with all the wonderful girls who come from all over the world to celebrate an American tradition!” says Hall ofFame curator Dixie Evans, herself a retired dancer (she was dubbed “The Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque” by legendary promoter Harold Minsky). “Burlesque is much more than striptease; it combines the whole live experience of dancers, comedians and music.”
The Burlesque Hall of Fame is an honest-to-goodness nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. The museum’s Facebook page is here.
(Hat tip to Roadsidepeek.com)