The holiday famous for free candy and girls dressing promiscuously is on its way. Though it’s no longer age-appropriate for college students to go trick-or-treating, if they still want to revel in Halloween fun, they can take part in what Halloween offers to adults — debauchery. The burlesque troop Boston Baby Dolls will hold a Halloween show Oct. 29 at the Paradise Lounge to fulfill that very need.
The Baby Dolls put on an energetic and funny show that appeals to both men and women. And don’t be confused — this is no strip club. Show host Scratch and headlining Baby Doll Ms. Mina told the Muse last week the Baby Dolls show is less about stripping (though there’s some) and more about having a raunchy good time. The people involved in the show have a true love for old-fashioned burlesque theatre and believe in the “timelessness of burlesque,” they said.
The Baby Dolls draw inspiration from what Mina admits is the somewhat idealized “golden era of burlesque” of the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. The show, which contains a unique mixture of pomp and camp, begins when Scratch comes out in a blood-red suit and speaks in his booming baritone voice.
Performances can get quite comical – one involves an archaeologist disrobing a mummy, while another involves a rejoicing Lizzie Borden. There is also a resident contortionist who cracks wise while twisting himself in manners unnatural to the average human. And a big part of the Baby Dolls show involves crowd participation — it’s completely acceptable to be raucous, rowdy and rude. So, to celebrate Halloween this year, grab a bunch of friends, put on a lascivious attitude and head to Paradise.