Who wouldn’t love a classic, embarrassing office holiday party without all of the day-after guilt?
Thanks to BeauTease Burlesque’s ScroogeCo. Holiday Party, that’s exactly what you’ll be able to take part in over the next two weekends at Chelsea Theatre Works.
The interactive theater experience will feature food, dancing, drinks, and lots of interactive singing, performing, games, and more, all in the best (worst?) tradition of holiday parties from Scrooge to Dwight Shrute and The Office.
“We’ve done interactive events before, but not for the winter holidays, we did a Halloween burlesque and haunted house,” said the BeauTease Burlesque co-founder, impresario, and master of ceremonies known simply as Scratch. “We’ve done many holiday shows before, but this is a different take on things.”
BeauTease Burlesque is the longest running active burlesque troupe in the Boston area, having formed in 2006.
Most of the troupe’s shows reflect the glitz, glamor, and kaboom of the classic burlesque shows of the 1940s and 1950s as they never quite were, according to Scratch.
The ScroogeCo. Holiday Party leans heavier on the improv skills of the eight performers who will be taking part, and was also more of a collaborative affair then the more scripted burlesque shows that Scratch typically pens himself.
The audience is fully part of the show, which Scratch said is influenced partly by the long-running Donkey Show in Harvard Square and by a host of favorite fictional characters indulging in holiday cheer.
“One can expect, in the best possible way, the cheesiest possible way,” said Scratch. “We won’t have the photocopier to photocopy people’s butts, but we are going to have ice breakers like candy cane races, which are like the old carnival race with horses, pin the tail on the reindeer, and singing, dancing, and comedy. It’s a party where a show breaks out every 15 minutes.”
While the performers can be expected to break into a song or dance at any minute, there will also be a DJ spinning tunes to add to the general merriment for everyone.
Performances are scheduled for Dec. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10 at Chelsea Theatre Works at 189 Winnisimmet St.
Tickets are available on the BeauTease Burlesque website at www.bostonbeautease.com.