While she has never stepped onto our stage in Vermont, the Vermont Burlesque Festival likely wouldn’t exist without Madeline Sinclaire (Rene). In 2009, Madeline Sinclair (Rene) introduced me (Cory, aka Luke Warm) to the world of burlesque by taking me to my very first show: The Monday Night Tease in Hollywood. It wasn't long after that I asked Madeline if she thought we could produce a show together. She said yes. We co-produced a sold-out show in Redondo Beach called "BEAUT

BARRE & MONTPELIER, VT  — After several turbulent years navigating the post-COVID live events landscape, the Vermont Burlesque Festival (VTBF) is celebrating an unexpected and deeply meaningful milestone: the 2026 Granite City Showcase: Encore! Encore!  scheduled for January 23rd at the Barre Opera House has officially sold out one week before the doors open. VTBF faced significant challenges following the pandemic. Attendance fluctuations, rising production costs, increasing

“She’s Only Kind of an Asshole.” The Vermont Burlesque Festival is thrilled to announce that the one and only Franki Markstone  is returning for an Encore! Encore!  appearance as the official emcee of VTBF2026: The Granite City Showcase  on January 23rd, 2026  at the historic Barre Opera House. If you’ve ever seen Franki in action, you already know: She’s bold. She’s hilarious. She’s brilliantly unpredictable. And yes — as Franki herself loves to remind us — she’s only kind o

Burlesque has always courted controversy — and that’s part of its purpose. It dares to question, to educate, to parody, to celebrate, to entertain, to awaken, to reveal. It invites laughter and self-reflection in the same breath. It honors the courage it takes to be seen and the vulnerability it takes to share oneself with an audience.

How the Vermont Burlesque Festival Defined Its Mission

I hear you. While the VTBF team and I love experimenting with new tech, many of you (some more kindly than others) educated & reminded us that AI comes with real concerns — from copyright and community displacement to environmental impacts, biases, and yes, even racism. Thank you to everyone who shared your perspective. While we understand AI is here to stay and very much a part of the world's future, moving forward -- the VTBF creative team and I are committed to learning mo