Dita Von Teese Returns with "Strip, Strip Hooray!"

Most fans of old-time burlesque already know about Dita Von Teese. The diminutive star has singlehandedly brought back the art made famous by women like Gypsy Rose Lee and Sally Rand, the art of showing a lot, but not all, of their beautiful, sensuous bodies. Her martini glass performance is eye popping, for example.

Dita's titillating "Strip, Strip Hooray" show is a winning combination of old-time comedy (delivered by the show's gender-bending host known as Murray Hill) and set burlesque pieces, some performed by Dita and others by her cadre of sexy co-stars, including Perle Noire, Selene Luna, Lada Nikolska and Catherine D'Lish. There's even a male stripper in the mix, who goes by the name of Monsieur Romeo, and the greatest zaftig tit-twirler you've ever witnessed, who uses the moniker Dirty Martini. Her act alone is hilarious and worth the price of admission!

Of course, it is Dita who is the big draw; and they'll all be back in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago with the show this summer of 2103, in late June and early July, at the House of Blues and the Fillmore. Get tickets soon, as the shows generally sell out completely. Perhaps that's because seeing her strip down and ride a pink bull is quite the sight:

 But my personal favorite is her act with a giant compact and a powder puff, which is best viewed with a glass of Cointreau over ice in hand (Von Teese is a brand ambassador for that orange-flavored liqueur).

Dita's costumes are fabulous, her porcelain skin is always perfect and her supporting cast brings just the right touch of comedy, drama and sensuality to the show. It's a ton of fun!

Celebs Unite in the Fight to Cure Lupus

You know it's a big night in Beverly Hills when balding funnyman Jason Alexander  puts on his hair to go out; that's exactly what he did on May 9 as he headed to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to be honored at the 13th Annual Lupus LA Orange Ball.

The award-winning actor (who is best known as George Costanza from the long-running sitcom "Seinfeld") took home the org's Loop Award for his work in raising awareness of autoimmune diseases like lupus and scleroderma, a disease his sister Karen suffers from. "These are horrible, brutal diseases," Alexander said soberly, after his pal Patrick Warburton of "Seinfeld" and "Rules of Engagement" fame gave him a raucous introduction. But he soon lightened the mood, joking that "I wore orange in honor of Lupus, and I wore the hair in honor of Lupus, too!"

Honoree Jason Alexander and host Bob Saget ham it up at the 2013 Lupus LA Orange Ball. Photo courtesy WireImage/Lupus LA.

Host Bob Saget, who lost his sister Gay to scleroderma back in 1994, did his best to control himself, but that's almost impossible for the potty-mouthed comedian.

"They said to please keep it clean, as there are kids in the house," Saget chortled, "and I understand that. But I have an orange ball – just one of my balls is orange, just one!"

Saxophonist Mindi Abair played a few pretty tunes and "End of the Rainbow" star Tracie Bennett channeled Judy Garland while singing "The Man That Got Away." Then singer Toni Braxton, who suffers from Lupus herself, honored Dr. Jay N. Schapira with the organization's Daniel J. Wallace Founder's Award and serenaded him, too.

Toni Braxton serenades honoree Dr. Jay N. Schapira during the Lupus LA Orange Ball. Photo courtesy WireImage/Lupus LA.

 

Also on hand to support the cause were actors Michael B. Jordan, James Leisure, Sufe Bradshaw and Kellie Martin, along with Backstreet Boy Howie D. Dr. Stanley J. Naides was also honored with the Medical Visionary Award on this night that raised nearly half a million dollars towards the cause of finding a cure for Lupus.

Jason Alexander proudly displays his Loop Award at the 13th Annual Lupus LA Orange Ball on May 9, 2013. Photo courtesy WireImage/Lupus LA.