Boston Babydolls Bring Burlesque

Who says the New England winter is cold and cheerless? Forecasters predict humorous and sultry temps in Exeter mid-February, courtesy of this amateur burlesque revival troupe. If you’re old enough to remember vaudeville, then you may be too old for this eye-popping, show stopping, heart throbbing evening on the historic Ioka stage.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
February 16
Exeter, NH

The IOKA Theater is proud to announce the return of the award-winning Boston Baby Dolls. The Boston Baby Dolls – winner of the 2007 Best of Boston Award, are a troupe of amateur and professional performers dedicated to revitalizing the art of Burlesque.

Performing class burlesque routines to the music of their day the women are all self-trained, many creating their own costumes to replicate famous dancers of the Age of Burlesque. The show is presented by the Host, Mr. Scratch a man of many talents including old jokes and geek magic.

Appearing Feb 16th at 9PM, the Dolls are a uniquely different way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and can be purchased at www.iokatheater.com or by calling 603-781-8922. You must be 21+ to attend this show, a full bar will be available.

THE BABYDOLL BACKSTORY

In the Golden Age of Burlesque -- the 1930s and 1940s -- at places like Minsky's and The Columbia Theater, there was a special signal to warn the dancers when the law was in the audience. A red light would go on backstage, and the dancers would know to perform a cleaned-up, watered-down, rendition of their usual act. This was called doing "the Boston version".

Fifty years later, a group of friends were sitting around in Boston, lamenting the fact that the name of their fair city was still associated with all things prudish, puritanical, and dull as dishwater. This merry band of adventurers knew they were going to need help -- and lots of it -- if they were going to overcome Boston's staid and dusty image. So born in that fire of equal parts civic pride and lack of sense, and fueled with just a dash of theatrical intent, The Boston Babydolls came to be.Babydolls are made and not born, and to help the women of New England throw off their tired self-image and unleash the wild temptress that all women have inside them, Miss Mina founded her Boston Academy of Burlesque Education (or B.A.B.E for short). Since then, the Babydolls have been gallivanting up and down the east coast, sowing the seeds of burlesque mayhem wherever they may alight, and teaching ordinary women how to do extraordinary things.

Today, The Boston Babydolls is a troupe of performers devoted toburlesque -- both classic and modern -- and variety acts. Our members include fan dancers, sword swallowers, jugglers, tassle twirlers, and many more.