The Ruffians: Burning Bluebeard

If you’re dreaming of a dark Christmas, the Ruffians’ tragicomic vaudeville Burning Bluebeard, a Chicago tradition since 2011, may be up your street. Created by writer-director-performer Jay Torrence, the show deals with the horrific real-life fire that killed 600 audience members at a 1903 performance of the holiday show Mr. Bluebeard at the Loop’s Iroquois Theatre. “In Burning Bluebeard, an alternately wistful, sidesplitting and chill-inducing excavation, six lightly singed members of Mr. Bluebeard's company attempt to erase the tragedy by successfully completing the performance without going up in flames,” wrote Time Out’s Kris Vire of the show. “Jay Torrence's blazing breakdown of events cheekily blends moods and periods, [and] the gags and dance numbers serve as a welcome balance to the horrific facts.” Tickets for the streamed version, which was recorded in 2019, cost $15–$50.