Meet The Cosmic Cabaret | A safe, inclusive burlesque and drag variety show in Fort Collins, Colorado.

We had the good fortune of connecting with The Cosmic Cabaret and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi The Cosmic Cabaret, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The Cosmic Cabaret was formed to create a permanent space for burlesque, drag, music, and other performers who are new to performing or are typically considered “too weird” for the classic style shows that were in Fort Collins at the time.

We also saw a need to create a deliberately inclusive, safe space for all performers, regardless of skill level, experience, s*x, gender, race, age, religion, or disability. Everybody who wants to perform should be able to do so, and we are committed to providing those opportunities.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The Cosmic Cabaret, then known as Sideshow Showcase, was founded in 2019 to fill a need in the community for a performance space that is deliberately inclusive- a place where queer and non-queer people alike were able to approach performing, watching, and participating in performance art in a safe way.

We reinvented ourselves with more purpose and intention while we were unable to host shows during the COVID-19 lockdowns, developing a more cohesive brand and mission while in isolation.

We strongly encourage BIPoC/API, fat, queer, disabled, and/or performers over the age of 40 to apply to perform with us, and were one of the few, if not the only production in Fort Collins to seek these performers and cast them. Fort Collins is an overwhelmingly white community, so this is oftentimes difficult for us to achieve, so we make a point to reach out specifically to BIPoC and API performers to encourage them to apply or to cast them directly.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would definitely recommend hanging out at our current venue, Surfside 7! It’s a wonderful, queer punk bar in Fort Collins where you get good drinks, pizza by the slice, and, if you’re sober or don’t otherwise consume alcohol, you’ll be respected and can grab a mocktail or enjoy that crispy fountain soda and juice.

If you’re into the craft beer scene, you can’t go wrong with Zwei Brewing. They specialize in German-style beers, but also have an excellent rotating selection of beers brewed in a wide variety of other styles. There’s also a rotating schedule of food trucks- Ciao! Mobile Pizzeria, Santa Elena’s, and Doublewide Burgers are some of our favorites!

If you’re looking for something a little more pleasurable, we also recommend dropping by Awakening Boutique for queer and transgender inclusive s*x education and products.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Simon Hyperion, the founder of Greeley Does Drag has been incredibly influential and inspiring to us. They have shown us what it means to be fearless in performance, and caring as producers. Simon’s Code of Conduct for Greeley Does Drag formed the basis of The Cosmic Cabaret’s Code of conduct, for which we are eternally grateful. Simon has led the charge into safe, inclusive spaces for performers and audiences, and we certainly wouldn’t be what we are today without them.

Website: https://thecosmiccabaret.com

Instagram: @thecosmiccabaret

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/blushingnovapro

Image Credits
Gemini Stardust, Knotty Nickels, Berlin Blush, Sydney Arts & Photography