‘Star Wars’ burlesque show ‘The Empire Strips Back’ heads to Phoenix

Alluring stormtroopers, a scantily clad Boba Fett ... is your lightsaber starting to tingle?

August 7, 2025

Image: A "dangerously seductive" version of Boba Fett from "The Empire Strips Back."

A "dangerously seductive" version of Boba Fett from "The Empire Strips Back." Craig Ridgwell

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Remember Princess Leia in the gold bikini in "The Return of the Jedi"? Of course you do.

It's perhaps the sexiest moment of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, but by no means the only one.

If a good lightsaber battle gets your midichlorians tingling, you'll want to snag a seat to "The Empire Strips Back," a "Star Wars"-themed burlesque parody show heading to the Valley in October. It last came to town in 2023.

The two-hour show that blends comedy, music and just a touch of galactic naughtiness will land at downtown Phoenix’s Herberger Theater Center for a run of shows Oct. 2 to 19.

As the name of the show implies, “The Empire Strips Back” features characters from the “Star Wars” universe engaging in “unforgettable (and unauthorized)” burlesque antics. The show, which is emceed by a suave Lando Calrissian lookalike, also includes Han Solo and Chewbacca shaking their intergalactic moneymakers, a "dangerously seductive" version of Boba Fett and a pair of tantalizing Twi’leks.

click to enlarge
The scantily-clad stormtroopers of "The Empire Strips Back."

Craig Ridgwell

The origins of ‘The Empire Strips Back’

Launched in 2011 by veteran Australian burlesque promoter Russall S. Beattie, “The Empire Strips Back” has sold out venues around the world during multiple tours.

While geek-themed burlesque shows featuring “Star Wars” characters have been a thing for more than a decade, Beattie aimed to do something different with this production.

“What most people know as burlesque is a very classic style — fans, feathers, big-band music, you know, vintage aesthetics,” Beattie told the Arizona Republic in 2019. “I wanted to evolve the way the audience perceives burlesque and do something a bit different, and just as a joke we did a ‘Star Wars’ burlesque show as a one-off, just as a joke between our more serious shows. Little did I know that would be the most popular show I’ve ever created.”

“The Empire Strips Back” also features some big-time production values and elaborate elements. “The Empire Strips Back” features a total of seven dancers who portray dozens of “Star Wars” characters during the two-hour-long show. Its full-sized Jabba the Hutt puppet also cost more than $50,000 to build and requires four people to operate.

“Jabba the Hutt is more of a prop than a costume,” Beattie told the Arizona Republic in 2019.

How to get tickets to see ‘The Empire Strips Back’ in Phoenix

Tickets for “The Empire Strips Back” at the Herberger Theater Center start at $39 per person (plus taxes and fees) and are scheduled to go on sale at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Performances are strictly 18 and over (sorry, younglings).

Anyone hoping to get early access to tickets can sign up for a waiting list through the website.

(Benjamin Leatherman contributed to this article.)

Jennifer Goldberg is the Senior Editor of Culture at Phoenix New Times. She joined the New Times staff in February 2016. In her role, Jennifer writes and publishes profiles of both local and regional musicians, previews upcoming performances and provides guides on the best of Phoenix’s entertainment scene. She also oversees the Best of Phoenix. Jennifer previously worked for Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. During her career, Jennifer has received awards from the Arizona Press Club, the Arizona Newspaper Association and the American Jewish Press Association. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in English from Arizona State University.

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