These are the droids you’re looking for.

Sorry. I was legally required by internet law to write that. I tried to avoid it, but my fingers typed it out anyway. My deepest apologies.

Anyway, can we all just agree that burlesque is having a bit of a moment? Burlesque performances began, surprisingly, during the late 19th century as a kind of variety show that featured off-color comedy and female striptease. The format remained popular for decades and probably reached its peak from the 1920s through the 40s.

Burlesque is meant to be sexy, sure. But its roots run deeper than mere surface-level sensuality. Burlesque is not porn. Burlesque is not what you’ll find at most “strip clubs” today. It’s always mixed comedy and (sexual) politics with eroticism. And it’s always been an art form with something to say.

There’s no denying that it’s titillating, but rather than shout, “Look how sexy this is!” it instead says, “Let’s take a closer look at this. Why do we find it sexy?”

Over the last 60 or 70 years, the artistic quality of burlesque gradually faded away, and shows became less about the imaginative performance that once defined the medium. Eventually, it disappeared entirely.

But burlesque is now vintage and – as such – is making a comeback as both an art form and a crowd-pleasing performance. And like so much else, it’s capitalizing on the mainstream acceptance of all things geeky.

Which brings us to the particularly obvious marriage of burlesque and Star Wars. Russall S. Beattie conceived The Empire Strips Back back in 2011 as a joke to drum up some attention and sell tickets between other more traditional burlesque performances. It was only meant to run for three nights. But it turned into a massive success that kept getting extended… and kept selling out.

Gee, who could’ve predicted that?

After several sold-out Australian tours, the show finally made it to the States last year for a (sold out) limited run in select California cities. Couldn’t make it? You weren’t alone. Thankfully, the show is about to set off on a much bigger six-week North American tour, so you’ve got another chance!

Tickets (18+) are on sale now, so check here for dates, venues, and links.

But watch this video and tell me you’re not intrigued. From the music choice to the mock “behind the scenes” footage, The Empire Strips Back is 100 percent self-aware. It knows what it is. It knows its appeal. It knows its audience. And it knows why it’s so successful.

In advance of the North American tour, we sat down with The Empire Strips Back creator Russall S. Beattie. We picked his brain about the show, its unique joys and challenges, and how they’ve managed to avoid the long arm of Mickey’s legal team.

Roarbots: Let’s start with the obvious question. How do you not run into legal trouble with Disney, who is notoriously protective of its properties and keeping them as “family friendly” as possible?

Russall Beattie: Most countries these days have fair-use parody laws in place. But there are still many countries we can’t play because they don’t have the same laws in play. At the end of the day, we are a show made by fans for fans, and the respect we have for the brand is represented in the execution of the production. [Nevertheless,] we still make it very clear that we are not affiliated or endorsed by Disney or Lucusfilm.

Roarbots: The mashup seems so obvious, it’s kind of unbelievable that it’s taken this long to become a “thing.” How did the seeds first get sown for this show?

Beattie: I had been working in burlesque already for 10 years and started working on the show as a way for me to explore different aspects of burlesque to maintain my passion and evolve my personal creative style. Honestly, it was a joke show. We thought maybe we would do one or two nights in a small music venue, but it’s become this big beautiful ride that is now one of the biggest burlesque productions in the world.

Roarbots: Over the last few years, I’ve noticed that burlesque performances have increasingly been timed to coincide with many of the larger comic-cons. Why the resurgence in popularly now?

Beattie: Well, pop culture these days has taken over everything – the biggest films, TV shows, books, etc. Why not burlesque as well? We live in a time when its OK to hold on to the things from your youth as an adult. When you combine the passions from your childhood and adulthood to create a new experience, there is something exciting and familiar about that.

Roarbots: What was the most difficult costume to adapt for this medium?

Beattie: There are a number of costumes that have an array of problems. One thing is to get the costumes close enough in detail and quality to represent the expectations of the audience but also make them practical to strip on stage. For example, our C-3PO (we call her SHE-30) has 60 high-powered magnets that if we are not careful will pinch the performer’s skin.

Pretty much anytime a performer on stage is wearing a mask, they are basically doing the routine blind. When the stage lights hit the eye visors, they flare and you can’t see a thing, so they have to rely on their counts/steps and trust the choreography and the other dancers.

Our Chewbacca costume is the most expensive by far; each strand of hair is individually attached. It took six months to find the head alone.

Roarbots: Which part of the performance do you wish Lucasfilm would adopt as canon?

Beattie: I think our rapping Admiral Ackbar is pretty nice addition. You haven’t lived until you see a Mon Calamari busting out some rhymes to the Sugar Hill Gang.

Roarbots: What props were your favorite to include in the show?

Beattie: I get a kick out of the challenge of bringing aspects from the films that where never designed to appear outside the world of those movies. For example, the tauntaun was originally a claymation scale model. We took on the challenge not only to have a full-size tauntaun but also to have somebody ride it like Luke Skywalker does.

Roarbots: Were there elements of the show that seemed impossible when you first thought of them? Just too incompatible for the format of the show? I have to imagine it took you a while to figure out how to make Tusken Raiders sexy.

Beattie: Haha, making characters sexy is not really hard. We break down the core elements of each character and work out what those elements represent. The mystery of Boba Fett, the youthful excitement and joy of Luke Skywalker, the grace of Princess Leia, and the powerful controlled movements of Darth Vader, for example.

The hardest thing is to find an interpretation that will do right by what the audience expects. [We need to find] a level of interpretation that will sit right with different Star Wars fans of different genders, age, locations, and so on.

Roarbots: Anything that still seems impossible? What do you wish you could include but just haven’t figured out how to yet?

Beattie: I’ve [already] figured out all the elements I would love to add to the show. The main thing that holds it back these days is the logistics of touring.
We are a Broadway-style show on a rickshaw schedule, which I have pushed to the limit. But I’ve been working a sit-down version of the show that we would love to run one day in Vegas or New York. If that day ever comes, that version of the show would focus creating an all-encompassing experience on and off the stage.

Roarbots: What’s the most common misconception you’ve heard about the show? Or about burlesque in general?

Beattie: It’s always from people who have not seen the show. Judging it off a Facebook advert, a common comment is that it’s just stripping in Star Wars costumes. We work very hard on the production and balance to create a unique experience that is true to Star Wars and to fans’ expectations. Yes, there are risqué elements, but it’s not gratuitous or exploitative. The best way to have an opinion on what we do is to buy a ticket.

Roarbots: What’s the most common response you hear from audiences who’ve actually seen it?

Beattie: The most common response is that they didn’t expect the show to be as funny as it is. Also, they are traditionally in awe of the performers, costumes, and props on display – the fact that we go to that much effort in the production of the show.

The Empire Strips Back will be on tour across the United States and Canada from March 30 through May 4, 2019. Check here for dates, cities, venues, and tickets. Enjoy!