By Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jul 14, 2009 at 11:51 AM
It might not have been quite as colorful as the likes of San Francisco's Barbary Coast or The Tenderloin in Manhattan, but there was a time when Milwaukee had its own pleasure quarter, and "Spectacular! Spectacular! A Burlesque Bash" is doing its damnedest to recreate those late-19th century days.

The July 25 event, which benefits the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, features a fashion show with models strutting the burlesque-inspired creations of local designers Shannon Lee Molter and Miranda Levy from UW-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts, and lingerie and underwear fashions from Boudoir by J. Rath.

Of course, Milwaukee's own burlesque troupe, the Brew City Bombshells, will spice things up with a live performance.

Spectacular! Spectacular! takes place at Tramont Corp., 3701 N. Humboldt Ave., from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Jordan Dechambre-Childers, owner of the Elements of Style personal shopping consulting firm and managing and fashion editor of M: Milwaukee's Lifestyle Magazine, will serve as emcee with ringmaster and artist Garrett Gharibeh.

Tickets are $400 for a VIP reserved cabaret table for four, $50 reserved runway seating, $25 general admission or $10 for students with ID (must be 18 to enter), and are on sale at www.spectacularmilwaukee.com.

All proceeds support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America and its mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.

Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.

As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”