After a long day of opening and closing accounts, Maria Hernandez, 28, turns off her computer, leaves her cubical in one of the Manhattan-based banks and takes the train Downtown to Orchard Street, ready for a night of panties, garters and simmering pasties. Like often on any day between Wednesday and Saturday, she moors at Slipper Room, a crimson hub of the best burlesque shows on the East Coast. Soon she is sipping a martini while a woman in fishnet pantyhose and a feather hat swallows flaming torches.

Though neo-burlesque is one of the signature live shows of New York City, and the second-most popular eroticizing entertainment after go-go dancing, Hernandez is a perfect example of what differentiates the two. Women love watching burlesque! “I usually come at least once a week,” says Hernandez. “I never considered doing it, but I really like watching it. It’s sexy but not pretentious. It’s fun.” And fun is, after panties and pasties, what burlesque philosophy is all about. Or, as Liza Minnelli cried out in “Cabaret,” “Divine decadence, darling!” Derived form Italian comedia del l’arte, burlesque has been exercising human sense of parody, kitsch and sex appeal since the nineteenth century. At the same time when the female body gets deprived of mystery with every new Gossip Girl poster, neo-burlesque reins with lingerie-clad silhouettes that are far from the stereotype of perfect, media-enhanced beauty. And with the 6th Annual New York Burlesque Festival kicking off on September 18, the show is far from its grand finale. So if you missed out on movies like “Cabaret,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Chicago,” then it is about time to catch up using our list of hottest events of NYC burlesquology.

THE SLIPPER ROOM
The brothel-red, plushy Slipper Room, with its famous jewel-box stage, is a known haven of one of the best burlesque shows in town. As the acclaimed gem of the LES, it became the art ground for such celebrities as Jo Boobs, Pinkie Special, Runaround Sue, Linda Rhonda Linda, Lady Lucerne, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Amelia Danger, The Wet Spots, Scotty the Blue Bunny , *BOB*, Typhoon Sugarpants, and many others. Hosted by the inimitable Mel Frye, the show includes music by a live DJ and variety acts every week.
One of the stars, Darlinda Just Darlinda, reminded us of one of the most amiable features of the burlesque, before pulling on her stockings and treading on the stage with a wide smile on her heavily maquillaged face: “I chose burlesque as a way of expression because it inspires women to love their bodies in a society that is not very body-positive,” she confesses.
Miss Darlinda, who has a BA in theater and new media and a long history of comedy improvs, loved the feel to this mocking type of performance the minute she discovered it:
“When I heard about burlesque I knew I had to do it,” she recalls. “My first gig was for Pink Inc as a go-go dancer for the opening of Circ de Soleil after-party and there was a ton of wonderful burlesque dancers there-- Julie Atlas Muz, Bunny Love and Little Brooklyn. One thing lead to another and I've been doing burlesque ever since!”
Darlinda Just Darlinda agrees with the majority of fellow pasties-lovers, saying, “Burlesque is comedy. Comedy is an art form that mocks everything, so burlesque is an art as well, and it also mocks everything!”

The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street, 212-253-7246, www.slipperroom.com

THE CUTTING ROOM
Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome – if only that welcoming was not copyrighted—Bonnie Dunn and Dillon, the hosts of Le Scandal, would probably use it every Saturday opening one of New York’s oldest cabarets. Demi Moore, Wesley Snipes, Ralph Fiennes, Jim Jarmusch, Goldie Hawn and Lou Reed are just a few celebs that set their feet in this burlesqualicious shrine. Legend has it that Drew Barrymore even performed a scandalous striptease here. Saturday night at The Cutting Room on offers voyeurs the chance to admire sword-swallowing, fan and lasso dancing, fire-eating, magic, belly dancers and, of course, many pasties bouncing together with what they are attached to. Le Scandal joins burlesque with vaudeville and circus performance, creating a bomb-of-a-variety show sizzling right inside 19 West 24th Street. Previously called The Blue Angel, this rustic joint survived Giuliani’s crusade against the erotic visual pleasures. Now, the New Orleans-born Bonnie Dunn, the leading diva of this mutant cabaret-vaudeville-burlesque looks like the kind of woman it wouldn’t become not to call “Madam.” She is famous in New York for her fab, sassy gowns and a voice of a pre-prohibition jazz queen. So when coming to The Cutting Room, expect nothing less than the notion of a hey day of Coney-Island worthy show.

The Cutting Room, 19 West 24th Street, 212-691-1900, www.thecuttingroomnyc.com

COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS
Rarely does a burlesque performance risk imposing a plot, but the two extravagant savants of Pinchbottom, Jonny Porkpie and Nasty Canasta, undertake this impressive narrative feat. Coordinating the formidable talents of NYC burlesque legends Bastard Keith, Naughtia Nice, and Tigger!, Porkpie and Canasta impose an original theme for each session. Tonight it’s a circus, an appropriate topic for an art form that not only borrows the tricks of jugglers and sword swallowers, but also strives to prick the hidden desiderata of the human soul. “There are no rules; every performance is a self-contained, five-minute-long theatrical event that can involve absolutely anything that we as performers feel inspired to include,” says Nasty Canasta, a burlesque veteran, about her experience with the genre. “That can range from straight, classic, dance-inspired striptease to political commentary to slapstick puppetry - and often, all of the above.”
Canasta claims that burlesque is both art and a mockery of art: “Which is why I love it: there's really no way of taking yourself too seriously. That's the best part.” And perhaps it is the merging of comedy and revealed bodies that make neo-burlesque growingly popular world wide. For those who feel bold enough to try the performance, Canasta has some specific tips:
“See every show that you can,” she advises. “Find out who is performing and what they're doing. It's inspiring! Take a class; it's an excellent way to get a taste of burlesque. And find out how both the art and the business work. Don't expect to jump in immediately as a professional - like any art form, it takes work, practice and experience.”

Collective Unconscious, 279 Church Street, 212-254-5277

THE FORTUNE COOKIE CABARET
Like the “Cabaret’s” Master of Ceremony advised: “Leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it!” That rule is golden in decadent joints like The Fortune Cookie. The luminous Starshine Burlesque— produced by Creamy Stevens and Little Brooklyn—shines every Thursday night in the back room of Lucky Cheng’s, a 1920’s and Wong Kar Wai inspired venue. Their wildly popular show includes a parade of feather fans, circus-meets-figure-skaters outfits, diva-worthy gowns, artistic make-up and, of course, pixy lingerie. The small, burgundy space hosts a soiree of exquisite undergarments, pasties and signature drinks, and is enhanced by a DJ-mixed blend of techno to 1940’s style hits. Starshine proves what many burlesque performers say—that it is the most creative form of art—by blasting an original and titillating show every week.

Fortune Cookie Cabaret, 24 First Avenue (between 1st & 2nd St.), 646-734-4782, www.planetluckychengs.com

PUBLIC ASSEMBLY
The rough, hipster-stocked Brooklyn space on North 6th street undergoes an assault of retro frenzy every Monday, when Doc Wasabassco, the self-declared Kingpin of Burlesque and his extraordinary gang of beautiful, scantily-clad women trot out their exquisite show. When not in their native borough, Wasabassco hosts monthly shows at the Palace of Wonders in Washington D.C., teaching the straight-laced DC crowd the art of naughty seduction and laughter. “It’s like hitting a 19th century European cabaret where you would expect it least,” says 27 –year-old Arthur, a graphic designer and sworn fan of Gigi La Femme. “I don’t think there is any show in town that compares to the sexy, decadent vibe that burlesque gives.”

Public Assembly, 70 North 6th Street – Brooklyn, www.publicassemblynyc.com

CORIO
This newly opened burlesque den moonlights as a general party lounge early in the week, but from Thursday to Saturday Corio is a powerhouse for pasties queens like Angie Pontani, Peekaboo Pointe or Melody Sweets, and the charismatic drag king host, Murray Hill. If you can get beyond the dizzying cherubic wallpaper, enjoy a classy dinner-and-a-show in a slick space filled with art deco gadgets and retro furniture—all kept in hues of subversive burgundy. The menu features a decent fare worthy of the sensation-hungry audience, with an impressive selection of vegetarian meals. “I didn't choose burlesque. I really feel like it chose me,” says Peekaboo Pointe, a bobbed, tattooed resident performer once called “The Fastest Tassel-Twirler from East to West,” “I got into burlesque by accident and it fulfills everything I need in performance and expression.” Pointe, born in Washington DC, entertained the fantasies of American audience with acts ranging from a living boa constrictor to trapeze stunts. Burlesque has become her full-time job. “I did a burlesque show about 6 years ago,” she recalls. “At the same time I was dancing in a modern dance company. After I finished my first burlesque number on stage, I knew that I had found my bliss. I no longer perform modern dance.”

Corio, 337a West Broadway, 212-966-3901, www.corionyc.com

Pussycat Lounge
In the historic, post-revolutionary Augustus Hicks Lawrence House (c. 1793), with it's magnificent bronze 'rose-doorway' facade, features gorgeous dancers, saucy barmaids and a well-earned reputation as Wall Street's legendary watering hole and gentlemen's cabaret. 96 Greenwich Street (corner of Rector Street - 2 blocks below ground zero site), 212-349-4800, www.pussycatlounge.com

Webster Hall
Formerly the Ritz (and before that, a historical ballroom), this huge club If you're looking to get a taste of New York nightlife history you will find it here. The largest, loudest, longest running dance club in New York City and the world! Millions of people have graced the hallowed halls and concert stage of Webster Hall through the years, from the very large masses to the very famous. Four floors that spin house, pop and various other genres to suit the crowd's taste. Don't be surprised to see stilt walkers to jailbait beauties hanging from ropes above the dance floor. During your stay in New York make this is a must see!!! Click here to check out the calendar of events or go to www.websterhall.com 125 East 11th Street (off 4th Ave.), 212-353-1600, N,R,4,5,6 to Union Square.