C'est pas juste un bar de danseuses... comme disent certains

Plusieurs personnes qualifient le Cabaret Cléo de « bar de danseuses ». Voilà un jugement prononcé sans avoir pris la peine de se renseigner sur notre véritable identité. Dans un mémoire présenté par Nathalie Gural et Amy Hudston, deux artistes du burlesque qui se produisent au Cabaret Clé, on découvre cette véritable identité. Voici quelques extraits du mémoire.

The forms of alternative entertainment performed at Café Cleopatra’s vary from drag
impersonations, traditional travesties, and underground performance art. All of these
have branched from the roots of Vaudeville theatre.

Vaudeville is defined as:
• Stage entertainment offering a variety of short acts such as slapstick turns,
song-and-dance routines, and juggling performances.
• A theatrical performance of this kind; a variety show.
• A light comic play that often includes songs, pantomime, and dances.
• A popular, often satirical song.
The proposals set forth by the SDA do not include a small venue, or stage bar for local, alternative, low budget artists that need the opportunity of low rent accessibility to actualize their projects. Currently we do have such a place : Café Cléopâtra.

We chose to use Café Cleopatra’s for the following reasons:
1. It boasts a traditional show bar cabaret set up, unique to the city yet perfectly adapted for the needs of our genre of show entertainment. Found on the second level of Café Cleopatra’s, a Thrust Stage, otherwise known as a Three Quarter Round is a rarity here in the city of Montreal. The lighting system as well follows a more traditional cabaret approach as opposed to the typical “rock and roll” style found in most Montreal venues.

2. The support, mentorship and continued encouragement on the part of J. Zoumboulakis to continue producing these shows.