Bollywood, the 1960s and 70s:
"For years, the favorite setting for the big dance number has been a cabaret, with its atmosphere of forbidden liquor and sexual permissiveness, with its mixed audience of privileged Indians, industrialists, playboys, princes, and its foreign decadence..." And no one was more at home this exotic milieu than an Anglo-Burmese refugee who began dancing in films at 13 to support her family. Her pale skin and vaguely foreign looks, along with a collection of colored contacts and wigs, allowed her to play white women, Asian women, whatever titillating role was called for. She was
Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls (
part 2,
part 3,
part 4).
[more inside]
posted by bookish
on Aug 10, 2008 -
24 comments
Maude Maggart-- Fiona Apple's sister-- does cabaret. She doesn't sound anything like her though, her voice is more soprano than alto.
posted by brujita
on Jan 22, 2006 -
13 comments
Colin Powell in cabaret performance in Viet Nam. "As Powell acted out his death throes at the end of the song, [Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko] Tanaka - in traditional Vietnamese dress - flung her arms around his prostrate body and kissed him on the cheek." Apparently these kinds of performances are regular occurences at these things.
posted by donkeymon
on Jul 27, 2001 -
16 comments