(Image via Vylette Tendency / Facebook)

WEDNESDAY

High Concepts: A 420 Variety Show

Wednesday, April 24 at Casa Delgado, 8 pm: $10 

Yes, 420 was last week, but maybe you had to work, or maybe you just can’t get enough of herb-centric events. Whatever you’re feeling, know that tonight you can experience yet another high-minded live performance experience. Drag and burlesque performers Vylette Tendency and Doll Body’s High Concepts variety show features burlesque acts, games, and a raffle to benefit Drug Policy Alliance. The intimate, speakeasy-style event embraces the fact that it’s a late 4/20 show, which admittedly does feel on brand for those who often partake of the herb, as scatterbrained-ness is always a possibility.

(image via Jenny Gorelick, photo by Bridget Bardore)

THURSDAY

Hot and Fun: Comedy and Karaoke

Thursday, April 24 at Baby Grand, 8 pm: FREE 

The weather is getting nicer and nicer for real this time; the days of it being cold with one nice day every couple weeks are coming to a close. It’s much easier to leave your house when you’re not greeted with a bleak display upon opening the font door, so why not traipse over to Greenpoint for Hot and Fun, comedians Jenny Gorelick and Zach Teague’s latest weekly show (yes, weekly, so if you miss this one there’ll be plenty more where that came from) offering stand-up comedy and karaoke, in the same night and at the same place, so you can have a multifaceted night out without leaving the bar you started in. This week’s show features Philip Markle, Marcia Belsky, Rachel Pegram, Alex Song, and Alison Leiby.

(photo: M. Sharkey)

FRIDAY

Paul Swan is Dead and Gone

Now through May 19 at Torn Page, 8 pm (some performances at 4 pm): $25+ 

Andy Warhol featured many a colorful character in his films and art, and one of them was Paul Swan, a queer dancer and multihyphenate with a fondness for wearing glamorous, Old Hollywood-style costumes and hosting salons in his studio, which was located above Carnegie Hall. Swan is also the great-great uncle of playwright Claire Kiechel, who has penned a new work with The Civilians paying tribute to him, his multifaceted life, and his long-running salon series. Instead of a traditional theater space, the show will be staged in an intimate salon-style space in Chelsea.

(image via Magical Girl Bulesque / Facebook)

SATURDAY

Fan Service Live! A Burlesque Tribute to Anime

Saturday, April 27 at Starr Bar, 7:30 pm: $15 advance, $20 doors 

One of the most common forms of burlesque show is the tribute show, where performers take on a piece of recognizable pop culture and turn its characters and imagery into striptease spectaculars. Magical Girl Burlesque, helmed by Raina Sinclair and Betty Brash, is one such group frequently staging tribute shows, and their latest is all about anime—fitting, considering their name. The performers tonight won’t just be embodying the types of anime characters known to don short skirts and pigtails (though there’ll be some of that, I can assure you); you can also expect burlesque renditions of characters like Naruto, Alucard from Hellsing, and Dragon Ball Z’s magical green dragon, Shenron.