Here it is, the final roundup of horrible and hot burlesque events happening on Halloween proper and on Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November 2nd, the period often referred to as the “Day of the Dead” in Mexican culture. The Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos in Spanish), focuses on gatherings of family and friends who pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, which honor the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. It’s nice to see this tradition honored in burlesque performances this year as I’ve always felt that the imagery associated with the holiday is so striking and dramatic.

I must say this has been the biggest burlesque Halloween that we’ve seen at Brown Paper Tickets and it’s just further proof that burlesque is growing, expanding and thriving all over the country. No need to honor the death of burlesque this Day of the Dead. This sparkly beast is showing no signs of passing away any time soon. Let’s raise a glass of tequila and suck on a sparkly sugar skull in honor of the hottest Halloween season yet!

Now get your costumes together, get your tickets and support your local spooky strippers!

HALLOWEEN! Thursday, October 31

Hot Todd Lincoln’s House of Horrors! – Washington, D.C.   Join Deanna Danger, Kay Sera, Sunny Sighed and Bal’d Lightning, Ruby Rockafella, Chérie Nuit, Cricket, Abby Gillett and stage kitten Kiki Allure for a night of frighteningly tantalizing  burlesque, belly dance, and sideshow!

Poisonous Pinups Spooktacular – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania   This will be a spooky Halloween night with an Army of Darkness themed burlesque show and a release party for Poisonous Pinups which will be incorporating media such as pinups, models, horror, burlesque, comics, toys and more.

Scary Stories to tell in the Nude – New York, New York   If you ever read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as a child, then you too, may be haunted to this day by the ghastly illustrations they contained and those that you created in your mind! On Halloween evening, Magdalena Fox will present an evening bringing some of these stories and more to life, replacing those images with gorgeous, scary, and sexy striptease!

THE ROCKY HORROR DINNER SHOW – New York, New York   ‘The Rocky Horror Show‘ had its debut on the London stage and within a month it was a spectacular underground sensation! In less than a year it played to sold out audiences at the LA Roxy. Next, it was time to make the play into a film. Almost 40 years later is has become the biggest cult movie in history. On Halloween Night, The Rocky Horror Show will be resurrected for a one night extravaganza at the fabulous Duane Park restaurant in the east village. A 6 piece live band and a full Rocky Horror cast will be on hand to recreate the magic that is Rocky Horror to both old and new fans. Since it’s Halloween it’s key that everyone in the crowd dress up! Be it Riff Raff, Magenta the diabolical Dr. Frank-n-Furter or just a Transylvanian…audience participation is key…and fun!!

The Rocky Horror Cabaret Show – Chicago, Illinois   Leave it to the cabaret to bring you a Halloween show to chill you, thrill you, and fulfill you-you’ve never see anything like The Rocky Horror Cabaret Show! Your favorite Rocky Horror hits with sexy burlesque mixed in.

Friday, November 1

The 10th Annual Cabaret Macabre – Seattle, Washington   Over the past decade, The Bad Things have hosted Cabaret Macabre in a variety of venues and neighborhoods and have featured burlesque, cabaret and musical acts from around the world. This year, in an effort to re-capture the underground party vibe of the first Cabaret Macabre, the Bad Things are taking over Capitol Hill’s FRED Wildlife Refuge for one night of dance, aerial performance, burlesque and music. Day of the Dead-themed pageantry is highly encouraged!

!BadAss! Dia De Los Muertos! – New York, New York  Celebrating the Dead on the day of Velocity Chyaldd’s birth! It’s a very special !BadAss! with your host Michael Formika Jones at the helm presenting divine burlesque talent & bad behavior that will chill you to the bone as they summon & honor the Dead. Death devotees include: Velocity Chyaldd, Rev Mother Flash, Ms Poison Ivory, Magdalena fox, Nastie Canasta, The Flying Fox, Stormy Leather, Deity Delgado, Markko Donto, Cornelius Loy, Harvest Moon, Shelly Watson, Legs Malone, Trixie Little, Matt Knife, Jo Boobs, Monkey, JZ Bich and Tigger.

The Feast of All Saints and Sinners! – New Orleans, Louisiana   As much as Freaksheaux to Geaux LOVES Halloween, they love mixing stuff up even more! That’s why this year, instead of another Circus of the Damned, they’re bringing you The Feast of All Saints and Sinners! Who needs ghost stories to get scared by when you’ve got the Catholic Church with their multitude of martyred saints and punished sinners? And, as usual, they have some very esteemed special guests!

The Fox & Beggar Theater presents: PULCINO – Asheville, North Carolina   Calling all miscreants, gamblers, fire spinners, cardsharps, storytellers, rogues, and diamond-toothed dreamers: The Fox & Beggar Theater invites you to take part in its next tantalizing sideshow. On November 1st, the Bywater Bar will be transformed into a fiery Day of the Dead carnival– with music, art, and celebration both inside and out. PULCINO will feature, for your pleasure: Hot speakeasy swing from the Firecracker Jazz Band and the Gypsy Swingers, circus crunk from Richmond legend Mr Jennings, felonious funk from the dangerous Medisin Fractalz, roaring electroswing from the booty-shaking Boomerang, jaw-dropping fire, burlesque, and acrobatics aerformances, infernal art installations from Billy Skyotë Romano, Logan Alexander, and Sideshowjoe LoRusso, aerial eccentricities from Blue De Leeuw and others, Burlesco de los Muertos from Memphis Moonshine and live painting by Joshua Spiceland and Laura Sellers.

Saturday, November 2

La Petite Mort’s Dark Cabaret at Columbia City Theater – Seattle, Washington   La Petite Mort’s Dark Cabaret will be hosted by Diva le Déviant and will feature performances by:  La Petite Mort, Nickolai Pirak, The Shanghai Pearl, Jesse Belle Jones, Miss J9 Fierce, Vox Fabuli Puppets and Gale Force. Music by:  The Peculiar Pretzelmen and l’Orchestre d’Incroyable.

Image courtesy of Ricardo Pontes’ website.