Angie Pontani's Tribute to Blaze Starr
Blaze Starr on a sofa, smmmmmmmmokin'! I've always been inspired by Angie Pontani's timing, dance ability, and sense of mischief, and I was thrilled when she began adding solo striptease performances back into her shows. One of the first numbers I saw her do as a striptease was her tribute to Blaze Starr . I love Blaze's story (the movie is fun, yes, but it's her autobiography that really blows me away). If you've ever seen Angie do the wild number with the bongo drum, that's it! Above: Angie Pontani, with Helen and Tara, Channeling Blaze Starr. Photo by Me. Angie had this to say when I asked her about the tribute number: "Blaze has always been one of my favorite stars of the golden era of burlesque. In addition to the unbridled carnality that comes across in even the most faded black and white, her life story is equally dramatic. Her affair with Governor Earl Long, her outrageous performances including the use of live panthers, the smok...