Toronto Burlesque Festival to showcase 'Naked Girls Reading'

Toronto, July 21 (ANI): Toronto Burlesque Festival has come up with an item called as "Naked Girls Reading", which will literally feature nude women reading books.

The five-day, third-annual festival will be taking place at the Gladstone Hotel on July 21, and the "Naked Girls Reading" is the newest event in the burlesque revival.

The idea for the show came about when Chicago photographer/writer Franky Vivid commented that he liked the image of his naked wife, burlesque superstar Michelle L'amour, reading a book.

The couple began to think about NGR as a form of entertainment, and considered then rejected a pay-per-view website as being too prurient.

Then they hit upon the idea of a tasteful, old-style salon, and decided to hold sessions at L'amour's studio.

"We hold the series every month at my studio. Each evening has a theme, and each girl selects her own material, which can come from fiction, non-fiction, song lyrics or poetry," the Globe and Mail quoted L'amour as saying.

"The work is close to the heart. We have an emotional connection to the pieces we have chosen," she added.

NGR first came to Toronto in March when the strip divas of Skin Tight Outta Sight Rebel Burlesque held their first salon.

The format is generally four or five readers who take 10-minute turns, ending with a group read from a common book. The readers usually perch demurely on a chaise.

The theme of the 2010 festival is 'MeTOPolis: The Future of Burlesque', and so the readings are science fiction. (ANI)