Naughty, bawdy "Burlesque Show" reaches a new peak

THE THIRD annual iteration of "The Burlesque Show" at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa is by far the best version to date.

AyCee-based producer Allen Valentine obviously has a bigger budget than in the past, which translates to a larger cast and more accomplished, visually interesting staging. But he doesn't allow this to overwhelm the show's basic premise: The re-creation of classic, mid-20th-century burlesque, the kind that was titillating and naughty, but never infused with the kind of out-and-out coarseness that is part-and-parcel of so much of today's entertainment scene (and life in general).

As always, the stars of "The Burlesque Show," which runs every Thursday through Oct. 15, are the crew of performers boasting names like Rosy Cheeks and Hazel Honeysuckle. These alluring and exotic young women are not to be confused with the lascivious pole-dancers who populate today's gentlemen's clubs. Instead, they are throwbacks to performers like Blaze Starr and Lili St. Cyr, who tastefully (if sexily) peeled off their articles of clothing in time to music, ending up (thanks to prevailing laws) in G-strings and (often tassel-tipped) pasties.

Not that there isn't plenty of eroticism on display, never more so than during the sexy aerial act performed by Anya Sapozhnikova and Sarah Newett.

Of course, burlesque isn't just about near-naked women stoking sexual fantasies. Comedy plays a huge role as well, and the show's two funny guys keep the laughs coming on a regular basis.

This year's specialty act is The Great Kaplan, whose engaging and entertaining wordless turn combines comedy with magic. Among his droll highlights are the levitating of a bowling ball (which makes its return in a rather amusing way) and his playing the melody of "The Impossible Dream" by deflating a balloon.

Funny stuff, indeed.

And then there is "Burlesque Show" vet Jeff Pirrami, who is as much a force of nature as he is a comic. Pirrami, who has anchored all three versions of the program, is rude, crude and filled with 'tude, but that's the charm of his act. Although his language can get surprisingly rough, his humor is never really mean-spirited (despite some barbs aimed at innocent audience members; think Don Rickles) and is way-more-often-than-not hilarious.

And speaking of laughs, the show once again includes several "blackout" sketches that bring to life hoary (but still-funny) jokes that your grandparents and great-grandparents roared at in their salad days.

If you haven't figured it out so far, "The Burlesque Show" is an adults-only presentation. It's also an Atlantic City must-see.

It can be argued that last year's free beach concerts by country-poppers Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum were the much-needed antidotes to a dismal summer that saw three Atlantic City casinos shut their doors for good.

However, the two shows set for Sunday (Maroon 5, in one of only two gigs they're doing this year) and Thursday (Rascal Flatts) aren't as much morale boosters as they are pieces of the town's marketing puzzle as it attempts to rebrand itself as a non-gaming destination.

Another, more tangible, difference is that this year, tickets are being sold rather than given away for free. Maroon 5 tix are $39.50 and $97.15; you can see Rascal Flatts for $20 and $67.75 (800-736-1420, ticketmaster.com).

Given the loss of thousands of spots caused by the gaming-hall shutdowns, the parking strategy has been a priority. City officials and others involved in the events have developed a plan that involves a number of non-casino lots as well as a shuttle service from the seldom-used casino-employee parking facility on the Atlantic City Expressway near the Visitors Center.

As for the rules and regs governing crowd behavior, the Thou Shalt Nots include the standard prohibitions against illegal drugs, alcohol that isn't purchased on-site, guns and other weapons, and fireworks and sparklers, as well as such things as Sharpie pens, tents, flags and animals.

What the powers-that-be do countenance are beach towels and blankets, umbrellas (which must be closed at showtime), small (less than nine inches high) beach chairs, small, soft coolers for snacks and a single, sealed bottle of water per person.

Sunscreen is definitely recommended.

Both shows commence at 4 p.m.; vendors will be open for business at noon in the concert area, which runs along the beach from Arkansas Avenue (Caesars/The Playground) east to Kentucky Avenue (where preferred and general admission ticket-holders will enter the site).

A full list of parking options and a complete rundown of prohibited items are available at atlanticcitynj.com.

The glory days of the Frank Sinatra-led "Rat Pack" will be remembered this weekend in Avalon and Cape May by the "Summer Club Show."

The musicale features popular local performers Jeff Coon, J.P. Dunphy (son of Temple University men's basketball head coach Fran Dunphy), Fran Prisco and Michael Philip O'Brien. They'll be backed by a 17-piece band on a number of tunes that Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. did during their storied 1960s gigs in Las Vegas and elsewhere.

8 p.m. tomorrow, $40, 609-884-9536, summerclubshows.com.