Boston Babydolls coming to Exeter

In the 1930s and 1940s, a special signal warned burlesque dancers when law enforcement was in the audience. A red light would go on backstage, and the dancers would perform a cleaned-up and 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 city was still associated with prudish, puritanical and dull activities. The Boston Babydolls formed to overcome that image.

To help the women of New England unleash the wild temptress inside them, the Boston Academy of Burlesque Education, or BABE, was founded. Since then, the Babydolls have been gallivanting up and down the East Coast, performing burlesque mayhem and teaching ordinary women how to do extraordinary things.

The Boston Babydolls is a troupe of performers devoted to burlesque and variety acts. Members include fan dancers, sword swallowers, jugglers, tassle twirlers and more. The act comes to the Ioka Theater at 55 Water St., Exeter, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 on the day of the show. 

play brings historical debates to life in Newburyport

“The Rivalry,” a play written by Norman Corwin and directed by Vincent Dowling, will be staged this weekend at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, Mass. The production will run on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 24 and 25, at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m.

The play is a combination of dramatic art and an unforgettable history lesson that still resonates today. The year 1858 saw a series of seven debates between Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen A. Douglas for an Illinois seat in the United States Senate. The debates foretold the issues that Lincoln would face in the 1860 presidential campaign and are remembered partially for the eloquence of both candidates.

Written in 1958 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the “Great Debates,” the professional revival of this production comes during the 150th anniversary of the debates and the 50th anniversary of the play’s creation. The play reflects issues still facing the United States during the 2008 presidential election.

The Firehouse Center for the Art is a 195-seat theater at 1 Market Square on the waterfront of downtown Newburyport. Tickets are $28, $20 students. Call 978-462-7336.

comedy for cancer in Portsmouth

An evening of comedy to celebrate survivorship and to support the non-profit organization BreastCancerStories.com will take place on Friday, Oct. 24, at The Music Hall in downtown Portsmouth. The event will feature routines from four comedians and will start with a VIP reception including a silent auction; wine, cheese and chocolate tastings; and light appetizers. 

Comedian Kelly McFarland has appeared on several television shows, including Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend,” “Larry King Live” and “The Today Show.” Karith Foster was the first female sidekick on the new “Imus in the Morning” show and the 2007 recipient of Talent in Motion Magazine’s Comedian of the Year award.

Jimmy Dunn appeared in the movie “Stuck on You.” He also wrote and starred in a series of Olympia Sports commercials and is the wise guy voice of the NESN dating show “Sox Appeal.”

BreastCancerStories.com is an online community where people affected by breast cancer can stay in touch with loved ones and connect with others who are going through similar experiences. Visit the Web site for more information.

Tickets to the show are $35 to $75. The reception begins at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. at The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth.