Friday, October 21 • 8 pm
“You got your ABBA in my Halloween show.”
“Yeah, well you got Halloween in my ABBA show.”
“Wait. Why are we all fighting? That sounds great.”
AAH!BAA, a burlesque extravaganza produced by Irish Lashes and Pat Smear, is based on Brian David Gilbert’s parody EP of the same name, in which classic Halloween characters cover ABBA songs. (Think Victor Frankenstein singing “Gimme Gimme Gimme.”) Though the show will include selections from the album, there are also surprises.
“Nothing is set in stone or rigid in its portrayal,” according to Smear. “Some people are choosing to add trans allegory to their stories, or they’re mishmashing genres and dance styles.”
When asked about ABBA, both producers seemed to light up. “I love ABBA because I love the glam and ridiculous,” Smear continued. “Any band that seriously wears rhinestoned cat shirts and metallic thigh-high boots is a good band to me. Also, Cher did a cover album and I love Cher.”
Lashes points to the semi-obscure ‘80s musical Chess, with music by ABBA’s Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, as their entry point into the band. “I like the range. I like how ABBA’s songs are still bops even in the 2020s. My mom will be proud.”
As for the show’s cast, it includes “a healthy mix of drag queens, burlesque, and drag kings,” Smear said. “Homogenous casting is boring, and boring is something you will never see from us!”
“Drag and burlesque are sibling art forms,” Lashes added, “and while Seattle is infamous for themed shows, Pat and I both strive for variety of cast and talent within our themes. Silos are for grain, not art!”
A final note from Smear: “We hope to capture the feeling of Halloweens past with more silly and fun spooktacles rather than the serious and scary side of the season. As Dave Grohl says, ‘Everybody loves ABBA!’”
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