Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce

Forty Deuce’s opening in 2002 may have played a large role in reviving the public’s interest in burlesque. Celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Carmen Electra and Britney Spears have put on their tightest corsets and feather boas at the popular bar, which is still a favorite for birthday and bachelorette parties. Small, dimly lit and modeled after a speakeasy, the stage is the venue’s most prominent feature (it also conveniently wraps around the bar). One by one, each famously limber dancer sashays across it, leaving trails of a costume while a three-piece jazz band provides the soundtrack. The Amazing Carolina is a highlight, so any night she headlines is guaranteed to be entertaining.