‘Nice Jewish Girls’ give racy humor

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, a notoriously racy all-female variety show featuring stand-up comedy, singing and burlesque dancing, schlepped into Bear’s Ale House and Eatery on Monday night.

Bloomington was one of several stops on their way through the Midwest.
As soon as the lights dimmed, two women took to the stage and hunched over the mic. They began to read off names.

“Abrams? Arnoff? Thank you. Present. Goldstein? Cubiczarconiumstein?” they said.

Two other women suddenly ran out to the stage and began go-go dancing to a surfer rock version of “Hava Nagila,” a traditional Jewish folk song.

The women chorus-danced shortly and began to fight until Susannah Perlman, the show’s hostess, took the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming out tonight,” Perlman said. “Hello Jews! What’s up? All the Jews of Bloomington in one place.”

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Badwas started seven years ago by Perlman. It began with an event in cooperation with Heeb Magazine, which is produced for young Jewish people.  
The act features comedians and performers who have been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. Because of its success, the group has since traveled around the nation performing shows.

“It’s a great show. If you know anyone in South Bend, let them know,” Perlman said, referring to the group’s next stop.

Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad seemed to be far from family humor.

“When my mother paid for college, I think she had higher hopes than my cleavage being out on Third Street in Bloomington, Ind.,” Perlman said.

Perlman’s next joke called attention to “the JDate,” a dating site for Jewish singles.
“I didn’t find a boyfriend, but I did find an investor for my show,” she added.

But, the Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad isn’t just a variety show.

Perlman said the group is dedicated to overturning stereotypes and solving the greatest mystery in Judaism – what’s in Gefilte fish?

It seemed that Bloomington’s status as a southern Indiana town wasn’t spared.

“Cow tipping and pong,” Perlman said. “I know how you guys have fun.”