Boolesque, Sat., Oct. 30, 8 p.m., Mauch Chunk Opera House (14 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe). Tickets: $30, 21 and over. Info: 570.807.8891, www.jimthorpeburlesque.org, www.mauchchunkoperahouse.com
Grown-up trick-or-treaters in search of eye candy might want to make their way to Jim Thorpe’s historic Mauch Chunk Opera House this Saturday, Oct. 30. There, they’ll be able to take in the scintillating sights of Boolesque, a Halloween-themed burlesque event which offers plenty of ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beauties.
Boolesque is being organized by Jim Thorpe Burlesque Ltd., the same group responsible for the Jim Thorpe Burlesque Festival, which was also held at the opera house this past March. In fact, says Brooke Au Buchon, the organization’s executive producer, the genesis of Boolesque lies in that event’s success. Audience feedback was so positive, she says, that Boolesque was put together to meet popular demand.
Admittedly, audiences aren’t the only ones looking forward to Boolesque.
“We really didn’t want to wait a whole year to do another show,” says Buchon. “Burlesque is so fun, it’s costumed, it’s creative, and you can be anything you want to be. I thought Halloween would just be the perfect time for a show.”
Bringing in talent from all over the country, Boolesque’s lineup of performers includes Bella Sin from Ohio, Petra Precocious from Maryland and Spanky Roundbottom from Washington, D.C.
Appearing alongside the out-of-state ladies are Pennsylvania natives Riley Schillaci — who is also a sword-swallower and fire-breather — Cheek A. Boom and Venus Mantrapp. The latter two will appear as a duet. “(Mantrapp) is performing as a voodoo doll,” says associate producer Michelle Gallagher, “and Cheek A. Boom is a voodoo priestess.”
Headlining the event will be the world-renowned Jacqueline Hyde, who won both the Crystal Corset Award and the “Best Performer” title at the Jim Thorpe Burlesque Festival. Speaking from Seattle by telephone, Hyde dishes on how her first sojourn to Jim Thorpe back in March blew her away.
“I was coming down the hill,” she says, “and I was like ‘Oh my god!’ It’s like you’re going back in time. The people there were nice, and the atmosphere was nice.”
Hyde’s experiences in Jim Thorpe were so positive, in fact, that she’s already made plans to move there permanently by next summer.
“She’s going to play an integral part in the future of Jim Thorpe Burlesque,” says Buchon, revealing that the organization has plenty of plans for the future. “But I can’t tell you what they are,” she teases.
Of all the things Hyde professes to adore about Jim Thorpe, it is undoubtedly the Mauch Chunk Opera House — which she describes as “magnificent in its grandeur and in its style” — that left the greatest impression on her.
“I’m getting chills just trying to talk about it,” gushes Hyde. “I can’t put it into words. I wanted to move in. Everything about the opera house is just magical. ... I fell in love with the opera house, and I think the little ghosties that were there fell in love with me, too.”
That’s right, boils and ghouls. Ghosts! The Mauch Chunk Opera House is one of several Jim Thorpe landmarks purported to be the site of supernatural shenanigans. To date, several spook-hunting groups, including the Blue Mountain Paranormal Society and the Hazleton Paranormal Society, have performed public investigations there.
Whether the opera house’s specters are real or not, no one can say. But the venue has proven itself to be a perfect fit for Boolesque regardless, with Buchon making mention of the fact that Mauch Chunk was “a regular site for the vaudeville circuit in the ’20s and ’30s.” It’s a statement that seeks to remind us of where burlesque’s roots lie.
Though Boolesque promises plenty of skin, all involved are quick to point out that burlesque is more about the “tease” than the “strip,” with Gallagher making sure to note that “there’s no full nudity in our show.”
“Some people think it’s just about stripping,” says Hyde, “and it really isn’t. It is actually an artistic interpretation of something. ... It’s not seedy. It’s not gross. It has a theatrical quality to it.” She goes on to comment that burlesque is more about humor than anything, and that the heart of the art lies in parody and camp.
Overall, the women behind Jim Thorpe Burlesque Ltd. say they’re excited about the reception their efforts have been met with by local audiences, and they encourage Boolesque attendees to get into the Halloween spirit and come in costume. However, they do note that those interested should act fast because tickets have already begun selling quite well.
Gallagher in particular proves to be optimistic and enthusiastic about the event, promising that “Boolesque is going to be a scream of a time.”
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