It’s showtime!
A group of drag and burlesque performers will kick off the Halloween season this weekend with a sexy, spooky show honoring the filmmaker behind “Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and “The Nightmare Behind Christmas.” The troupe behind “Madness: A Drag & Burlesque tribute to Tim Burton,” at Coney Island USA on Oct. 5, are all big fans of the director’s freaky films, said the recently crowned Mr. Coney Island, who will also perform in the show.
“As a troupe we’re very into the aesthetics of classic early ’90s, artsy, spooky Halloween stuff, all of us enjoy light horror,” said Lee Valone, who lives in Flatbush. “We’re all into the aesthetics of things that are a little bit creepy. We’re really representing different characters from Tim Burton movies and representing his aesthetic as a filmmaker and illustrator.”
Several guest stars, including Doll Body and Foxy Belle Afriq, will join the members of Valone’s troupe Beefsquad, so audiences can expect a about a dozen performers to dress up in (and then strip out of) outfits inspired by Burton’s gothy, over-the-top costumed characters, according to Valone.
“They can expect nostalgia, they can expect to be delighted by costumes and performance,” he said. “I was raised on Tim Burton movies so it’s a good excuse to be playful and have some fun for the Halloween season.”
Valone, who grew up watching Burton’s movies, said that his favorite is “Edward Scissorhands,” but that he has not yet decided whether to portray the blade-handed boy, the ghoulish title character of “Beetlejuice,” or the talented director himself. Regardless of his choice, he said, audiences should expect the adults-only show to be only PG-13 in terms of frights.
“I’ll possibly impersonating Tim Burton himself, why not?” he said. “It’s going to be a little spooky, but not scary.”
“Madness: a Drag and Burlesque Tribute to Tim Burton” at Coney Island USA (1208 Surf Ave. at W. 12th St. in Coney Island, www.coney
