Burlesque legend coaches pinup girl

Burlesque legend Tempest Storm is giving some old-school lessons to Playboy's retro pinup girl Claire Sinclair.

Storm, 83, and Sinclair, 20, hit it off so well they're planning a joint appearance on the East Coast this summer.

Their friendship started when Storm saw Sinclair perform with the Crazy Horse Paris revue at the MGM Grand earlier this year.

"I gave her a few pointers on how to connect with the audience," Storm said, "and I went back to the show the next night, and she had already picked it up.

"She has great talent," Storm said.

Sinclair, who won the Playboy Playmate of the Year title this year, hopes to take the stage August 26-27 with "Tempest Storm's Las Vegas Burlesque Revue" in the Regent Theater at Arlington, Mass., and the Park Theater in Cranston, R.I.

Sinclair, as spokesmodel for the Bettie Page clothing line, has a strong connection with Storm's era.

"Tempest worked with Bettie," Sinclair said. They worked together in "Teaserama," a 1955 documentary that featured the biggest burlesque acts.

"Bettie appears in a French maid outfit and is dressing Tempest," Sinclair said. "It was a really big scene. It was a big deal back then, very provocative. I want to re-create that."

Sinclair, who turned 20 on May 25, is too young to attend burlesque shows but can entertain as a performer. She's planning to take her burlesque act on the road.

She recently met Dita Von Teese at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood through their mutual friend Crazy Horse dancer Lada.

They are representing different eras. "She's a burlesque queen. She's the 1940s. I'm vintage, not predominantly one era."

"I told Dita if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be where I am today. She was a huge inspiration."

REALLY BAD HAIR DAY

Former KSNV-TV, Channel 3, entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs is recovering from a bad day.

While opening her refrigerator May 25, a metal grate fell, cutting her nose. After plastic surgeon Goesel Anson gave Jacobs five or six stitches in her nose, "she told me to go home and relax."

Jacobs settled in for the night and decided to turn on the fireplace.

Flames came spewing out and burned her hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, lips and, yes, her sutured nose.

"And you thought you had a bad day," she said Tuesday with a sigh.

SIGHTINGS

Disney darling Chelsea Kane, who finished third in the finale of "Dancing With the Stars" last week, and Stephen Colletti of "One Tree Hill," meeting the stars of "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular." ... NHL enforcer Zenon Konopka, taking in Vinnie Favorito's comedy show at the Flamingo on Saturday.

THE PUNCH LINE

"I think I may be going through Oprah withdrawal. At 4 (o'clock), I cried for no reason, and then I checked under my chair for a prize." -- Conan O'Brien

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.