Folks need to do their homework before deciding to visit, and if they do, they will have a…read morefantastic time! First, the cabaret proper begins at 9 pm and lasts approx 2 hrs including intermission. Around 11 pm or so, the venue opens to others, and performances are intermittent. Second, the cabaret is programmed so that different types of performances happen on different nights. We attended the performance on Friday specifically because the Happy Burlesque show offered a variety covering traditional, comedy, experimental neo-burlesque, and boy-lesque. The folks complaining about the style of performance indeed did *not* know enough about burlesque and their preferences to make an informed choice about the night they attended. Personally, I thought the two spring performance was *brilliant* and I'm so glad I saw it! And, my next favorites were the boy-lesque and gender play cabaret -- smart and so much fun!!
As far as how the venue is run, I love that the performers are also the bartenders and it would be extra cool if it happened to be a kollectiv, but I'm not sure that it is. Everyone was very friendly and the drink prices are perfectly reasonable considering that other venues in the world take advantage of a captive ticket buying audience and charge far more just because they can get away with it.
Anyway - we had a great time! The quality of the performances varies, but the energy of the performers is wonderful. Now, if only the audience would learn to loosen up and cheer the way a good burlesque audience should! It's annoying when someone near you sneers because you're clapping too loudly for their uptight ears! *Lol* I dare those curmudgeons to take to the stage themselves and see what it's like through a performer's eyes... Maybe then they'll learn to have more fun at such an event