The Empire Strips Back
Sachyn Mital

The Empire Strips Back - A Burlesque Celebration hit NYC for May the Fourth (pics)

A bikini landspeeder carwash. A dance off between a nerf herder and fuzzball. Admiral Ackbar rapping. A side of Emperor Palpatine that you’ve never seen before. On May the Fourth, the unofficially official day of celebrating Star Wars, Times Square was the center of the galactic empire as The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody conquered Playstation Theater.

The Australian touring company bought their extravagant production to the United State for a cross-country tour beginning in California and ending in New York City. And along the way, a lot of stormtroopers removed their clothes. Some of the Star Wars films’ most iconic scenes became stripping fodder and highlights included C-3PO being disassembled by Jawas, Palpatine swinging on a Death Star (to Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball”), and the Jabba’s palace scene simply for the immense Jabba that was created.

The show also included a tribute to Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, who had passed away just a few days prior, inviting the audience to do their best wookie call. Fans responded dutifully. Photos from the show are in the gallery above.


photos by Sachyn Mital