'Boobs and Goombas:' Burlesque for the Digital Age

What did I do Saturday night? Let's see: aside from laughing hysterically at the sexy and imaginative antics of Boobs and Goombas: A Super Mario Burlesque, I also recalled the countless hours my brother and I spent conquering the Mario Bros. franchise throughout our childhood. An odd mix of titillation and nostalgia. It was a wild evening.

As the title suggests, Boobs and Goombas is a new burlesque which lovingly follows the adventures of everyones' favorite plumbers: Mario and Luigi (emcees Coo d'Twat and Lily e'Claire, offering the evening's great in-joke one liners in endearing Italian verto Russian accents), as they try to save that damsel forever in distress, Princess Peach (Coco Rufus, in a fun chew-the-scenery turn). Plot sound familiar? After 27 years, it should.

Yet, toss in a pixelly techno bump n' grind score (recreating the series' iconic melodies), a good handful of pasties, and enough Italian exclamations to exhaust Nonna Sophia ("Mama mia!" and "It'sa me, Mario!" tickled each time) and you get Goombas' gist.

In a medium known for removing clothing as musical numbers dwindle down, Goombas' troopas (under the quick and savvy direction of creator MsPixy) have created simple yet elaborate costumes which equally pay homage to the Mario Bros. and burlesque worlds. As Mario and Luigi journey on, each ensemble member is given her chance to temp and defeat the pair in a solo routine. Lacey Lay's silken aquatic Fish, Hazel Hellbender's tough S&M Chomper, Diva LaVida's comedic Toad, and Penelope Paddedbustle's thankless left, right, left, right Turtle all shine in their campy and revealing solos. And major kudos to MsPixy's beautifully theatrical Ghost number. In all, the detailed attention to each of the Mario Bros. incarnations is what makes Boobs and Goombas such a hoot. Plus, it's successfully tongue-in-cheek without winking at the audience - a tough line to master when balancing burlesque, parody and thicka accents. Sure, their script runs a little thin, but enough in-jokes and witty rapport continuously carry the adventurers into the next boompa boompa routine. It is a burlesque show, afterall.

So if you are 18+ and into at least one item in the title (boobs, Mario, burlesque), you'll likely enjoy the adult charm and inventiveness of this 1-hour show. But if you're into all three, grab your gaming pals, save up 15 coins (dollars), & snag the nearest magic star to blast yourself over to Gorilla Tango. Boobs and Goombas isn't a highbrow or heady evening. It's a fun, video game throwback burlesque parody ... and how many of those can you say you've been to?

PHOTO CREDIT: K Leo

Boobs and Goombas: A Super Mario Burlesque was supposed to shutter in October, but has subsequently been extended several times, now running through April due to popular demand. Attendees must be 18 or over to enter. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 11 p.m. at Gorilla Tango Theater, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave. For tickets, call 773-598-4549 or visit gorillatango.com.

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