Burlesque is a multifaceted genre with a complex history. In North America, burlesque was originally the name given to the last act in a variety show, from which it gradually became dissociated. Burlesque featured naïve and endearing characters, incompetent in everything but always victorious. Shows depended on the artistry of the performers and on their presence and charisma. Like actors of the commedia dell’arte, burlesque performers mastered spectacular numbers – lazzis (the walk of a drunkard, capturing a fly, descending stairs) and voice effects – which they offered to willing audiences regardless of the situation. Improvisation and contact with the public played a crucial role in these easy-to-follow numbers in which dialogue was often less important than physical acting.
Initially bilingual, Quebec burlesque has its origins in American burlesque, itself heavily indebted to immigrant comedians (Jewish, German and English). A genre comprised of immigrants and the working-class, it retained audience interest from the early to mid-twentieth century. Olivier Guimond (father) and Arthur Petrie were the first celebrities of the genre in Quebec.