The story begins, as it did in 11 feature films, a long time ago in a place far, far away. In 2011, at a tiny Sydney, Australia venue called The Vanguard, impresario Russall S. Beattie debuted a Star Wars-themed burlesque parody, The Empire Strips Back, for an intended three-night run. And not unlike a certain Corellian freighter that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley, it just … took off.
“They started playing larger and larger venues in Australia and touring it around the country,” says Las Vegas-based theatrical producer David Foster, whose company acquired the touring rights to the show in 2023. “They brought it to the States a couple of times, touring it like a band, doing single-night performances.”
