Times Scare to Close

On Monday, Times Scare announced in an email to staff that the Haunted House will close its cobweb-covered doors indefinitely on Monday, December 7. Undaunted by this news, the burlesque events that have been a staple of the venue since 2013 will continue, steadfastly upholding their mission of "bringing nudity back to Times Square."

December's shows will continued as scheduled, including the debut of the new burlesque play A Dead Sexy Burlesque Christmas Carol and the weekly editions ofBTSQ: Burlesque in Times Square. They will feature a rotating cast of over three dozen burlesque performers, including international superstars, Burlesque Hall of Fame honorees, and even a couple of talented up-and-comers.

"We are very optimistic that the shows we've booked for 2016 will also go forward as planned," said Jonny Porkpie, producer, writer, and host of the shows. "Much as we loved the haunted house, we suspect it was actually the artistic nudity and incredible performances by top burlesque stars that brought people to the shows twice a week. With the cold weather and DeBlasio driving the Desnudas out of Time Square, someone needs to uphold the tradition of scantily-clad hilarity and sexiness that made this neighborhood great."

In the past three years, Porkpie International has presented both cabaret-style shows and full theatrical productions, including Pinchbottom Pretençión: Un Cirque du Burlesque, un Burlesque du Cirque and Dead Sexy: The Off-Broadway Play at The Elektra Theater, the weekly Dead Sexy Cabaret and BTSQ: Burlesque in Times Square(formerly Church of Titillation) in the Cabaret Space, and 10 new scripted burlesque plays, including Mob Jews, Thong of Tholomon, and Sword, Sorcery and Striptease.Shows planned for 2016 include new scripts, the return of some of NYC's favorites, and visiting burlesque performers from across the country and around the world.