We are excited to launch our first Sideshow Cabaret on October 23, 2021. The purpose of the Sideshow Cabaret is to create artistic development opportunities for Circus Center’s students and staff. This show is a chance for students who have been working on acts to get them in front of an audience. The Sideshow Cabaret is also great for pros who are looking to season a new act or perform something a bit more experimental. This is not a professional show, but rather an artistic development opportunity. Performers will get a free drink and a video of their act. Tickets are $10 or pay what you can - just enough to cover the costs of the event.

The Sideshow Cabaret will have a variety show format with a loose theme (Halloween this month). This is a chance to show your act exactly how you intended it. You won’t be asked to change your music or adjust your character. But if you’d like some feedback or coaching on your act, we are happy to provide that. There will be a minimal time commitment for the Sideshow Cabaret. There will be a tech rehearsal and cue to cue the day of the show, a break, and then a show in the evening.

Do you have an act that you want to get in front of an audience? Send a video of your act to Sailor at sailor@circuscenter.org by October 1 to be considered for the Sideshow Cabaret - Halloween Edition. Feel free to reach out to Sailor or Felicity with any questions (felicity@circuscenter.org).

Dear Circus Center Community,

A lot of people have been asking, “Is the Circus Center Cabaret coming back this year?”  The Circus Center Cabaret was a special part of our production season since 2015.  Steve Smith brilliantly brought our Theater to life with delicious cocktails, jumping jazz tunes by the Roger Glenn Trio, comedy and class by Madame Leanne Borghesi, and of course dazzling and awe-inspiring circus performances.  Personally, I loved performing in the Cabaret just as much as I enjoyed attending it.

After more than a year of the Pandemic, it is clear that we cannot bring the Cabaret back in the same form as before.  This may be disappointing for audiences and performers alike.  As we rebuild our capacity, we want to be smart about what our budget, staff, and space can handle.  We also want to make sure our programs and productions are serving Circus Center’s mission and community.  

Therefore, I am pleased to announce that we will have a Cabaret Season but with a twist.  This year we will have two kinds of Cabarets:  Sideshow Cabarets and a Classic Cabaret.  We are keeping the Cabaret that we all know and love (Classic Cabaret), but we are also developing a new kind of Cabaret (Sideshow Cabaret) that will create more opportunities for our students and allow us to push the boundaries of circus as an art form.

This Spring we are getting the team back together for a Classic Cabaret just like you remember.   This October, we will debut our Sideshow Cabaret with a Halloween show.  The Sideshow Cabaret will be a delightfully wild and thrilling show featuring Circus Center’s high level students as well as circus pros looking to present new or experimental acts.  The Sideshow Cabaret will be more inclusive for our student community, less expensive for the audience to attend, and hopefully a bit cutting edge.  

Keep following our newsletters, social media, and website for more details on how to perform in or attend our Cabarets.  

Sincerely,

Felicity Hesed, Artistic Director