Later in that year she accompanied Lydia Thompson to New York as a member of her British Blondes, opening at Wood's Museum (Broadway at 30th Street) on September 28, in the burlesque of "Ixion, or the Man at the Wheel".In the piece Markham plays the goddess Venus who is seduced by King Ixion (Thompson). Lydia Thompson: Queen of Burlesque Kurt Ganzl No preview available - 2016. Common terms and phrases. By 1868, again married, she left London for America and a cast of British Lydia married twice with both husbands dying, leaving her widowed. Lydia Thompson returned to Niblo's Garden in New York in April of 1870 to appear in the Burlesque "Pippin" and the "King of the Gold Mine." 1st Edition Published on February 29, 2016 by Routledge First Published in 2002. ", Allen, Robert C. "Horrible Prettiness: A Cultural Analysis of ‘British Blondes’. When the officer arrived to her wardrobe room, she would not dress to be arrested, he broke down the door and arrested the "un-dressed" Thompson. She returned to the stage in Thompson married Henderson, and the two sailed in August 1868 for America, heading a small theatrical troupe, adapting popular English Thompson's troupe, called the "British Blondes", was the most popular entertainment in New York during the 1868–1869 theatrical season: "The eccentricities of pantomime and burlesque – with their curious combination of comedy, parody, satire, improvisation, song and dance, variety acts, cross-dressing, extravagant stage effects, risqué jokes and saucy costumes – while familiar enough to British audiences, took New York by storm. She gained some fame in Thomas Selby's "the Spanish Dancers" in which she caused a small sensation with her imitation-parody of the extraordinary Spanish dancer Perea Nina and danced in 'Beauties of the Harem.' She introduced Victorian burlesque to America with her … Their first appearance on the American Stage was at Wood's Museum and Metropolitan Theater in NY, on September 28, 1868 in Burnand's Stardom back then had it prices, just like today. Thompson married Henderson, and the two sailed in August 1868 for America, heading a small theatrical troupe, adapting popular English burlesquesfor middle-class New York audiences by adding topical and local references and reworking the lyrics of popular songs, while preserving the rhymed couplets and comic puns of the burlesque form. ", Lydia's step sister Clara Rose Hodges worked briefly with Lydia in her beginning days, but moved on to become a successful dramatic actress. Still a teenager, Thompson then toured through Europe for over three years. J. Gilliland, "Thompson, Lydia (1838–1908)", Moses, Marlie. She was billed as the `first danseuse of the Drury Lane Theatre' in London.She won great acclaim for the dexterity of her dancing – which included the who was page). "Thompson, Henderson and her troupe finally returned to England in 1874, and she resumed her starring roles in London and provincial productions, including Thompson returned to New York following the death of Henderson in 1886 and again in the winter seasons of 1888 and 1891.W. ©1999-2013 www.StreetSwing.com. She was just fourteen years old when she joined the dancing chorus at Her Majesty's Theater in 1852.
"Lydia Thompson and The ‘British Blondes’. A girl had been stalking Lydia and following the troupe from town to town. Aftessest. She danced in Russia, Germany, Austria, France, Scandinavia and elsewhere, "winning acclaim for the dexterity of her dancing – which included the In the winter season of 1859–60 Thompson danced at the St James's in several pieces, including Thompson married John Christian Tilbury, a riding-master, in 1863, and soon gave birth to a daughter. In 1855 she went to Europe for over three years and performed her dances before very appreciative audiences. 0:17. When Lydia rejected her she became a bit aggressive and Lydia pushed her away. Their first appearance on the American Stage was at Wood's Museum and Metropolitan Theater in NY, on September 28, 1868 in Burnand's Burlesque Ixion. (Sonny Watson's Streetswing.com dancer History Archives - biography/photos bio. 0:05. Read Lydia Thompson Queen of Burlesque Forgotten Stars of the Musical Theatre EBooks Online. J. Lawrence, rev. Thompson's first American show Ixion was … Lydia Thompson (born Eliza Thompson; 19 February 1838 – 17 November 1908), was an English dancer, comedian, actress, and theatrical producer.. After dancing and performing in pantomimes in Britain and then in Europe as a teenager in the 1850s, she became a leading dancer and actress in burlesques on the London stage. Lydia's daughter zeffie would become a movie actress and do more than 68 films between 1917 and 1941 including "the Grapes Of Raft."