“A Tim Burton-meets-Tony Millionaire aesthetic of twisted Victorian vagrancy”—that’s how I described last summer’s Circus Contraption performance, and I still think it’s an accurate representation of the nine-year-old circus troupe’s style. Like the bread and chocolate made in Fremont’s Theo Chocolate (the circus’ new HQ), their acts are crisp, decadent, and visually luscious. Their next long-running show is planned for the spring of 2008, but tonight’s Haunted Housewarming features CC performers with special guests including beloved local musician Baby Gramps (known for mixing sea chanteys, Tin Pan Alley, and Delta blues in a set), acrobats, cabaret rockers, and someone acting out Stephen King’s Carrie with a puppet. Is that a trick, or a treat?

Fri., Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., 2007