The Hook’Em Revue

It was a convenient addition for the Hook 'Em Revue to include a piece dedicated to educating the audience on what makes a burlesque dancer, because the rest of the show was lacking in evidence. While burlesque is often the art of the amateur, the Hook 'Em Revue started out rather clunky and awkward with opening pieces seeming to waiver in their commitment to the genre. It wasn't until Howard von Zinn, a hobo with a desire to take her clothes off, took the stage and conjured a throwback to the origins of burlesque in caricature that the show picked up. Von Zinn was original, creative and, most importantly, dedicated to drawing in the audience and creating an artistic piece; it was hard not to be enthralled with her performance. Von Zinn was then only matched by the graceful performance of Sweet Sally Sass who managed to captivate by using a single pashmina to hide and expose with a carefully crafted dance. Sally Sass and von Zinn's stand out performances took the Revue from simply an excuse to remove clothing to an artistic enterprise.