I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately, as I’ve ended up doing a lot of it lately.  It started last year when a drag artist, known as Lady Imelda, asked me to join in on the ‘Glam Jam’ evenings at Halfway to Heaven on Wednesday evenings.  I thought it would be interesting and thus my toes were dipped in.

Me with the Glam Jam gang

Now, I’m just finishing a run 3 week run of burlesque/cabaret at the Tristan Bates, called ‘More or Lesque’ and I’m still in the dark as to what is this art form?

What makes someone good at cabaret? From what I can tell, I think it has a lot to do with the interaction and banter with the audience and your own U.S.P. (unique selling point).  I’ve seen striptease (not to nadda, but close), puppets, comedy, men in drag, women in drag, a man dressed in lederhosen – with a bear theme and a whip, the list goes on….

It kinda gives me the impression of Music Hall and what Vaudeville may have been like?  This is a world where a wide variety of acts that stand on the fringes of entertainment and can struggle to find a home on more main stream stages thrive.  Comic ability and a strong sense of sexuality seem to be quite prevalent as well.

In this most recent show, I have been the water pistol, raffle ticket selling, opera and every other genre singer.

One things for sure, whatever this art form is, the audiences love it and keep coming back 3 or 4 times!  That’s always nice.

How would you describe cabaret? Thoughts welcome below:

Me with the boys from More or Lesque