Photo by Advocate photographer Danny Fulgencio
It’s the beginning of the end for the Lakewood Theater. Although the lease doesn’t end until Feb. 1, last Friday the theater held within its walls what was probably its last show ever.
The show was hosted by Viva Dallas Burlesque, which has been a staple at the theater for several years. (We published an article last year about the show and the history of burlesque in Dallas.) The sequined, stiletto-clad dancers bid their farewell to the theater in the best way possible — with burlesque. Central Track covered the event and ran a story that includes several beautiful and racy photos which capture both the act and the soon-to-be-missed Lakewood Theater.
The story also includes several colorful quotes, including a gold nugget from Shoshana Portnoy, the producer for Viva Dallas Burlesque. Apparently a rumor was making its way through the crowd that an Olive Garden might be taking over the lease, to which Portnoy responded: “Because that’s what Dallas needs, more sh—y Italian food.”
The story pointed out that the theater’s lighting director and building manager, Paul Perez, who has been there for 11 years, will find himself out of a job. Check out the photos and read the rest of the story here.
If you want more photos of Viva Dallas Burlesque, we posted a slideshow back in July 2013, taken by our photographer Danny Fulgencio, to accompany our in-depth article about Viva Dallas Burlesque.
Or if you’re more interested in the Lakewood Theater, we ran a story in January that details everything we know so far about the theater closing. The story dips into the history of the Lakewood Theater and what it means to neighbors (there’s also a detailed timeline, which you can read here), but more importantly it covers the possibilities for preserving the theater, and that so far no one has bothered to try. Read the full story.
And finally, we also posted a slideshow of new photos of the Lakewood Theater, which could possibly be some of the last we’ll ever see.
