Pinchbottom is where burlesque meets theater, buys it a drink, and takes it to bed. It is both the name of a production company which produces themed & scripted burlesque shows in New York City, and the title under which its two creators -- Nasty Canasta and Jonny Porkpie -- perform as a duet. Each Pinchbottom show centers around a different theme, linking together striptease and variety acts from top performers with a topical narrative... and, believe it or not, a plot. A scripted plot.

Pinchbottom produced its first themed burlesque event on Saturday, July 31, 2004, at the now-defunct midtown bar Siberia. Inspired by the name of the venue, the show was called COLD WAR BURLESQUE and -- though the marketing materials claimed that "of all the burlesque you've ever seen, this is the Glasnost!" -- it rempresented an extremely embryonic version of what Pinchbottom shows would eventually become. This was followed by a movie-themed show at Galapagos ("Burlesque Goes to the Movies," which would later evolve into the slightly more cleverly-named FILM STRIP), but the company didn't fully embrace its distinctive mix of theater, burlesque, theme, and script until two years later, when a revered off-off-Broadway theater gave Pinchbottom the opportunity to experiment with the concept of a theatrical plotted striptease show on a monthly basis...

In April 2006, Pinchbottom began their relationship with Off-Off-Broadway theater mainstay Collective:Unconscious. A company devoted to supporting emerging artists and new work, C:U was looking for a burlesque show to fill out the programming at its new venue at 279 Church Street, the old Harmony Burlesque Theater. Tom Keenan was intrigued by the challenge Pinchbottom presented to itself in its proposal, to develop a new show each month based around an original theme. "The ecdysiastical possibilities" -- claimed that proposal, bombastically -- "are endless." The first edition of Pinchbottom's Sub:Conscious (BLASPHEMY!) played with then-common neo-burlesque show structure but didn't veer far from it. But by the second show -- the science-fiction themed NAKED PLANET, the formula was in place that would bring Pinchbottom to the attention of the burlesque and theater communities, the press, and -- perhaps most importantly -- audiences. Since April 2006, Pinchbottom has produced a brand-new show almost every month (with occasional re-runs of the most successful shows). As the 69-seat theater began consistently selling out, the show expanded to a two-night run in April 2007 and finally a three-night run for its final Off-Off-Broadway show in June 2008, when (as a result of a sewage leak in the basement) the show moved around the corner to perform at The Flea (July 08: Pinchbottom Declares War). For the remainer of 2008, a vagabond Pinchbottom performed at various venues (see "Around Town & Beyond", below), including SpeigelWorld and The Zipper Factory Theater, which for the first time brought...


The Zipper Factory Theater invited Pinchbottom to return to the venue for an entire 2009 Off-Broadway season, and Pinchbottom agreed to do so... however, three days before the first show show was scheduled to debut in January 2009, the venue was uncerimoniously shut down. The Bleecker Street Theater, another Off-Broadway house, stepped in on short notice to host Murder Most Naked as scheduled. Pinchbottom remained at 45 Bleecker for its Winter and Spring seasons before deciding that, after over three years of producing a show every month, and over 30 new shows, it was time for the monthy (bump &) grind to come to an end. The last official show of the run was P.I.N.C.H. Squad in June 2009. The company will now focus on producing longer runs of larger and more ambitious events... for instance, the return of Pinchbottom's summer hit Pretençión: Un cirque de burlesque, un burlesque de cirque for a five-night run at P.S. 122 in July 2009.

In addition to Collective:Unconscious and The Zipper Factory Theater, Pinchbottom has produced themed shows at venues throughout NYC and beyond, including SpiegelWorld (Sept & Oct 08: Pretençión), Galapagos Artspace (2005-2008: Professor Pinchy's Heated Debates Series: Art vs. Commerce, USA vs. The World, Men vs. Women), Southpaw (Quarterly 2007: The Burlesque Alliance's Brooklyn Burlesque Blitz, USOh! Show, Bikini Blowout at Burlesque Beach, and Novemberfest), Union Hall (Dec 08: The Pinchbottom Primetime Holiday Special), Corio (Aug-Oct 08: Devilish), as part of the undergroundzero festival (2007 & 2008), The Woolworth Building (at the Dorothy Parker Bathtub Gin Ball), The Women's Project (BLASPHEMY!, April 07), and Coney Island's Burlesque at the Beach (Summers 2007 - 2009: PinchbottomLand Burlesque Theme Park and The 25th Annual Miss Pinchbottom 1983 Pageant),The Pinch Brothers in A Day on the Boardwalk, A Night at the Sideshow.

Outside the Big Apple, Pinchbottom has produced shows at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ (The Shore Thing & The 25th Annual Miss Asbury Lanes 1983 Pageant, in association with Casino O'Fortune), The Beehive in Boston, MA (Various shows, 2008), and The Palace of Wonders in Washington D.C. (How To Sex, Feb/Apr 2009, Drinking Problema> June 2009).

Between April 2006 and June 2009, Pinchbottom premiered 30 brand-new shows. These shows became one of the foremost enablers of original world-premiere acts, inspiring performers to break new ground and create new material – in that time, over 200 acts debuted at (or were developed specifically for) the shows. Burlesque is the laboratory of contemporary performance; Pinchbottom shows are the room in that lab where some of the most dangerous experiments are conducted.

Pinchbottom was named "Best Burlesque" in New York Magazine's Best of New York issue, and called "The best burlesque show in town" by The Village Voice. A a duet, Pinchbottom was the first-ever winner of the "Most Innovative" award at the Burlesque Hall of Fame's Exotic World Pageant in Las Vegas. Nasty Canasta is the reigning "Cheese Queen of Coney Island" and well as the winner of the Golden Pastie awards for "Performer to Look Out for in 2007", "Best Use of Non-Traditional Items as Pasties" and -- way back in the day -- "Hottest Newcomer".

Pinchbottom shows are hosted by Nasty Canasta & Jonny Porkpie, joined by top talent from New York City and across the country, including AJ Silver, Albert Cadabra, Amber Ray, Angie Pontani, Anita Cookie, Ariel Levine, Arrogant Mick, Bambi the Mermaid, Bastard Keith, Belle-Morte Baudelaire, Bird of Paradise, Bonnie Dunn, Bunny Love, Chris McDaniel, Clams Casino, Clarke Westfield, Creamy Stevens, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Delirium Tremens, Devilicia, Dirty Daddy, Dirty Martini, Doctor Lukki, Donny Vomit, Evil Hate Monkey, Evil Petting Ron, Gal Friday, GiGi La Femme, Harvest Moon, Heidi Von Haught, Howlin' Vic, Jezebel Express, Jo Boobs, Jonny Porkpie, Julie Atlas Muz, Kobayashi Maru, Lady Rigel, Legs Malone, Leroi the Girl Boi, Little Brooklyn, Lola Pearl, Madame Rosebud, Mat Fraser, Melody Sweets, Michelle L'Amour, Minnie Tonka, Miss Astrid, Miss Saturn, Movie Star, Mr. Kenny Law, Ms Tickle, Nasty Canasta, Naughtia Nice, Neil O'Fortune, Nelson Lugo, Peekaboo Pointe, Perle Noire, Pontani Sisters, Pookie Patootie, Precious Little, Remy Vicious, Roja Rouge, Rose Wood, Ruby the Wonder Dog, Ruby Valentine, Sapphire Jones, Scarlet Sinclair, Schaffer the Darklord, Scott Rayow, Scotty the Blue Bunny, Taylor Mac, The Zog, Tigger!, Trixie Little, Velocity Chyaldd, Veronika Sweet, Vikki Likkerish, World Famous *Bob*, Zero Boy, and more.