Two weekends October 13-14 and October 20-21

In the autumn of 2010, things were going great. An outlaw group of friends had built a towering theme park in a neglected corner of Detroit (complete with a roller coaster, ferris wheel, flame throwers, etc.) and were gearing up for the big event.  Then the governor of the state of Michigan checked Facebook one day and asked, “What is that?”

The “that” in question was Theatre Bizarre, the dream of painter John Dunivant and a crew of like-minded artists and performers, built from scraps and memories of sideshows long gone, spanning an entire derelict and deadly block on the city’s northern border. For one night each year, they threw open the gates to another world, where clowns torment demons, burlesque dancers twist in tornadoes of fire, and everyone sheds their drab, daily skin to revel in the fantastical.

It was, in a word, magic. It was also entirely illegal. As soon as Jennifer Granholm, Michigan’s governor at the time, stumbled on the event, she had little choice. Within hours, city and state officials (as well as a heavily-armed SWAT team) shuttered what many have called “The Greatest Masquerade on Earth.” The show hastily moved to another venue (as The New York Times noted) and continued to thrive in Detroit’s Masonic Temple (the largest in the world). It could easily contend for the title of world’s largest immersive art installation as they use over 250,000 square feet.

In 2017, for the second straight year in its storied history, Theatre Bizarre will open its dark portal for “The Fortuitous Unfortunates,” two weekends of immersive, intense performance experiences. Two consecutive Fridays in October (the 13th and 20th) will play host to an exclusive Gala Masquerade, where revelers will enjoy an open bar, strolling gourmet dinner, valet parking and a unique tour of highlights from the event including performances by Roxi D’Lite, Messer Chups, The Theatre Bizarre Orchestra (The group’s Carpe Noctem was nominated for best jazz album in last year’s Detroit Music Awards) and so many more.  Saturdays (the 14th and 21st) will see a 9-hour marathon of nonstop debauchery spread out over 8 floors, including the Odditorium sideshow stage.

The Temple is transformed on a grand scale, complete with a Victorian ice cream parlor serving liquor-infused treats; a cinema offering vintage international erotica and horror; and a wild “Ghost Train” ride that takes place in the dark on the seventh floor. There are six main stages with over 20 bands (bands ranging in styles from punk rock to a barbershop quartette, a marching band, a Jazz trio, jug bands, rock and roll, and more), two dozen performance spaces, two grand ballrooms, dozens of strolling and aerial performers, burlesque stars from around the globe, suspension artists, vaudeville, carnival games, and countless other sensory delights combine to ensure that partygoers never, ever have a dull moment. Every hallway, every lobby can become an impromptu theatrical experience, this is truly a choose-your-own-adventure that has to be seen to be believed.

There is nothing else like it on earth.

{full story below}

In the late 90s, painter John Dunivant was struggling to find his voice as an artist. He didn’t have any trouble, however, devoting himself to breathtaking, elaborate Halloween parties. One, the one that nearly got him kicked out of his loft, involved 500 trees, forest trails, and a full-sized cabin.

In search of a new venue, he joined forces with friends and fellow party-throwers, and began building on multiple lots in a very rough neighborhood. “I was interested in old sideshows. Which was going to be the theme for just the year, but it stuck,” recalls Dunivant. “I began to develop stories and worlds based on that. I created my own visual laws, backstories, different elements that honed the whole thing.”

The whole thing--complete with theme-park rides and multi-story set pieces--thrived for ten years in the shadows, all on volunteer power. The blight that has plagued Detroit gave the collective the space to keep creating, even as bullets flew and firebombs hit nearby hulks of abandoned houses.

“There is no other place in the world where we could have gotten away with what we were doing.  We had the opportunity to build on our creation for ten years because the area was so neglected. It was a war zone with drug deals gone wrong and gunfire every day, all day,” says Dunivant. “The only reason we could grow was, as things intensified, houses around our lots burned down. We’d expand into where the empty houses once stood, fence it in, and keep going.”

Social media brought the peculiar art project crashing down, as the authorities came to call hours before the party in 2010. The setback was devastating, but temporary, as the collective behind Theatre Bizarre regrouped.

The second life of Theatre Bizarre came with challenges--how to create the same kind of immersive environment in an old building with fire codes and historic covenants, installing and tearing down each year--but this spurred Dunivant and his collaborators to an even deeper, lusher exploration of the world they had made, an approach that won the collective support from both The Knight Foundation and Kresge Foundation

The guiding aesthetic paved the way: the color palette, the scale designed to overwhelm, the mix of charm and revolt, of decadence and decay.  But now another layer was added, that of the Secret Society, of magic and the occult.  The decadence was taken to another level.

“I was originally inspired by 1930s penny arcade dioramas, although I wanted to blow these miniatures up to a grand scale.  To walk around in the models, and lose yourself in a maze,” relates Dunivant. “I studied architecture, and as part of that, I documented some of Detroit’s crumbling churches. The psychological design of the cathedrals was meant to mess with your head, to make you look up and feel humbled. We’re harnessing the same effect: Everything looms, and you have to stand on your tiptoes at times.” To embody this feeling (and literally capture the collective’s past), Theatre Bizarre has crafted massive dioramas of the old grounds, several yards high, complete with quirky mechanisms.” explains Dunivant. “It’s bringing things full circle.”

This model is teeming with life, with a cast of characters--clowns, devils, and gods--that Theatre Bizarre continues to expand and elaborate. Dunivant has developed very specific rules to guide this creation: “Gods make creations out of clay and simple materials stuck together, then given life. These characters evoke that,” says Dunivant. “Our performers wear outfits that are crude and simple, with oversized stitching, tattered around the edges, and with a limited color palette. They are meant to be like the figurines in this penny arcade.” The clowns and devils often duke it out, and control their own special territories over Theatre Bizarre’s eight floors.

Though Dunivant has been the creative driving force behind the project, Theatre Bizarre has taken on a life of its own. More and more regular performers inhabit characters, creating their own costumes, stories, and death-defying acts (like walking a flaming tightrope suspended by hooks in the flesh of two suspension artists). “It’s become more collaborative. They are using their strengths to create characters that amplify this world,” Dunivant says. “yet still intertwining with these basic laws.”

One law that all abide by: A total commitment to the cause of creating this uncanny spectacle each year, and a rejection of corporate sponsorship. Theatre Bizarre’s dedicated crew camp out for weeks ahead of time at the Temple, sleeping on air mattresses and barely leaving the building. “The core group of people take off work, leave their families, and live in a musty, crazy old building. It’s amazing to see these things come together. In theory, none of what we’re doing should work,” remarks Dunivant.

And now, some of Detroit’s most established organizations are rewarding Theatre Bizarre for their cultural and artistic contributions.  They’ve also taken up permanent residence at the Detroit Historical Museum, cementing their place in the timeline of Detroit’s history.

Theatre Bizarre 2017  lineup:

For tickets and additional information, see theatrebizarre.com.

Now two weekends October 14-15 and October 21-22

In the autumn of 2010, things were going great. An outlaw group of friends had built a towering theme park in a neglected corner of Detroit (complete with a roller coaster, ferris wheel, flame throwers, etc.) and were gearing up for the big event.  Then the governor of the state of Michigan checked Facebook one day and asked, “What is that?”

The “that” in question was Theatre Bizarre, the dream of painter John Dunivant and a crew of like-minded artists and performers, built from scraps and memories of sideshows long gone, spanning an entire derelict and deadly block on the city’s northern border. For one night each year, they threw open the gates to another world, where clowns torment demons, burlesque dancers twist in tornadoes of fire, and everyone sheds their drab, daily skin to revel in the fantastical.

It was, in a word, magic. It was also entirely illegal. As soon as Jennifer Granholm, Michigan’s governor at the time, stumbled on the event, she had little choice. Within hours, city and state officials (as well as a heavily-armed SWAT team) shuttered what many have called “The Greatest Masquerade on Earth.” The show hastily moved to another venue (as The New York Times noted) and continued to thrive in Detroit’s Masonic Temple (the largest in the world). It could easily contend for the title of world’s largest immersive art installation as they use over 250,000 square feet.

In 2016, for the first time in its storied history, Theatre Bizarre will open its dark portal for two weekends of immersive, intense performance experiences. Two consecutive Fridays in October (the 14th and 21st) will play host to an exclusive Gala Masquerade, where revelers will enjoy an open bar, strolling gourmet dinner, valet parking and a unique tour of highlights from the event including performances by David J of Bauhaus and the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra. Saturdays (the 15th and 22nd) will see a 9-hour marathon of nonstop debauchery spread out over 8 floors.

The Temple is transformed on a grand scale, complete with a Victorian ice cream parlor serving liquor-infused treats; a cinema offering vintage international erotica and horror; and a wild “Ghost Train” ride that takes place in the dark on the seventh floor. There are five stages with 20 bands, two dozen performance spaces, two grand ballrooms, dozens of strolling and aerial performers, burlesque stars from around the globe, carnival games, and countless other sensory delights combine to ensure that partygoers never, ever have a dull moment. Every hallway, every lobby can become an impromptu theatrical experience, this is truly a choose-your-own-adventure that has to be seen to be believed.

{full story below}

In the late 90s, painter John Dunivant was struggling to find his voice as an artist. He didn’t have any trouble, however, devoting himself to breathtaking, elaborate Halloween parties. One, the one that nearly got him kicked out of his loft, involved 500 trees, forest trails, and a full-sized cabin.

In search of a new venue, he joined forces with friends and fellow party-throwers , and began building on an abandoned lot in a very rough neighborhood. “I was interested in old sideshows. It was going to be a theme for the year, but it stuck,” recalls Dunivant. “I began to create stories and worlds based on that. I created my own visual laws, backstories, different elements that honed the whole thing.”

The whole thing--complete with theme-park rides and multi-story set pieces--thrived for ten years in the shadows, all on volunteer power. The blight that has plagued Detroit gave the collective the space to keep creating, even as bullets flew and firebombs hit nearby hulks of abandoned houses.

“There is no other place in the world where we could have gotten away with what we were doing. You usually can hit a place up once with street art, but we had the opportunity to build on our creation for ten years. The area was so neglected. It was a war zone with drug deals gone wrong and gunfire every day, all day,” says Dunivant. “The only reason we could grow, as things intensified, was that houses around our lot burned down. We’d expand into where the empty houses once stood.”

Social media brought the peculiar art project crashing down, as the authorities came to call days before the party in 2010. The setback was devastating, but temporary, as the collective behind Theatre Bizarre regrouped.

The second life of Theatre Bizarre came with challenges--how to create the same kind of immersive environment in an old building with fire codes and historic covenants, installing and tearing down each year--but this spurred Dunivant and his collaborators to an even deeper, lusher exploration of the world they had made, an approach that won the collective support from both The Knight Foundation and Kresge Foundation

The guiding aesthetic remained the same: the color palette, the scale designed to overwhelm, the mix of charm and revolt, of decadence and decay. “I was originally inspired by 1930s penny arcade dioramas, but I wanted to blow these miniatures up to a grand scale. I’m a tall person so I wanted to make everything extra tall,” relates Dunivant. “I studied architecture, and as part of that, I documented some of Detroit’s crumbling churches. The psychological design of the cathedrals was meant to mess with your head, to make you look up and feel humbled. We’re harnessing the same effect: Everything looms, and you have to stand on your tiptoes.” To embody this feeling (and capture the collective’s past), Theatre Bizarre has crafted massive dioramas of the old grounds, several yards high, complete with quirky mechanisms. “It’s like walking around in a model,” explains Dunivant. “It’s bringing things full circle.”

This model is teeming with life, with a cast of characters--clowns, devils, and gods--that Theatre Bizarre continues to expand and elaborate. Dunivant has developed very specific rules to guide this creation: “Gods make creations out of clay, simple materials stuck together, and give them life. These characters evoke that,” says Dunivant. “Their outfits are crude and simple, with oversized stitching, tattered around the edges, and with a limited color palatte. They are meant to be like the figurines in this penny arcade.” The clowns and devils often duke it out, and control their own special territories over Theatre Bizarre’s eight floors.

Though Dunivant has been the creative driving force behind the project, Theatre Bizarre has taken on a life of its own. More and more regular performers inhabit characters, creating their own costumes, stories, and death-defying acts (like walking a flaming tightrope suspended by hooks in the flesh of two suspension artists). “It’s become more collaborative. They are using their strengths to create characters that amplify this world,” Dunivant says. “They are still pulled from these basic laws.”

One law that all abide by: A total commitment to the cause of creating this uncanny spectacle each year, and a rejection of corporate sponsorship. Theatre Bizarre’s dedicated crew camp out for weeks ahead of time at the Temple, sleeping on air mattresses and barely leaving the building. “The core group of people take off work, leave their families, and live in a musty, crazy old building. It’s amazing to see these things come together. In theory, none of what we’re doing should work,” remarks Dunivant.

Theatre Bizarre 2016 Performers include:

David J and The Theatre Bizarre Orchestra
Roxi D'Lite (2010 Miss Exotic World)
Ray Gunn (2013 King of Burlesque)
Mat Fraser (American Horror Story)
Violet Chachki (Winner of last year's RuPaul's Drag Race)
Russell Bruner (2012 King of Burlesque)
Jenn O. Cide
Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow
Timmy's Organism
Konqistador
Pretty Ghouls
Pink Lightning
The Gabriel Brass Band

For tickets and additional information, see theatrebizarre.com.

M. C. Nightshade (AKA David J of Bauhaus / Love and Rockets) fronts the amazing twelve-piece psych-swing jazz band that is the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra. The album, Carpe Noctem (Hold Fast, release date: October 13, 2016) is a haunting evocation of the spirit of Detroit’s spectacular annual Theatre Bizarre event which takes place at the vast and mysterious Masonic Temple in that dirty old town and of the shadow side of carnival, vaudeville, and circus.

The genesis for this project occurred when David J was in attendance at the 2014 Theatre Bizarre Gala event and performed a spontaneous rendition of Bauhaus' classic, “Bela Lugosi's Dead,” with the award winning nine-piece jazz ensemble, Planet D Nonet (which has now mutated into the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra). In this unique take on the song, Bela Lugosi meets up with Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher for a delirious sojourn down in Chinatown where they inevitably end up “kicking the gong around.”

Recorded at Detroit’s celebrated Tempermill Studio with seasoned engineer David Feeny (Jack White / Loretta Lynn) and working closely with the talented arranger, band leader, saxophonist, and clarinetist Joshua James, David J and company have managed to capture the off kilter essence of Bacchanalian abandon, twisted circus, and dark carnival associated with Theatre Bizarre.

Carpe Noctem comes to you from Hold Fast, a vinyl-only, limited edition record label based in Detroit, and is available in two editions.  The Step Right Up, Try Your Luck Edition includes a 12-inch LP in a gatefold sleeve and purchasers will have a 1 in 4 chance of receiving the free bonus 7-inch featuring a new arrangement of Bauhaus’ goth rock classic, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” The Deluxe Edition includes the 12-inch, a guaranteed free 7-inch of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” a special limited edition art print by John Dunivant, creator/designer of Theatre Bizarre, and is signed by David J, John Dunivant, and Joshua James, leader of the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra.

“There’s a cackle in the rustle of the autumn leaves, something wicked this way weaves!”
- ‘When Zombo Comes To Town’

M. C. Nightshade (AKA David J of Bauhaus / Love and Rockets) fronts the amazing twelve-piece psych-swing jazz band that is the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra. The album, Carpe Noctem (Hold Fast, release date: October 13, 2016) is a haunting evocation of the spirit of Detroit’s spectacular annual Theatre Bizarre event which takes place at the vast and mysterious Masonic Temple in that dirty old town and of the shadow side of carnival, vaudeville, and circus.

The genesis for this project occurred when David J was in attendance at the 2014 Theatre Bizarre Gala event and performed a spontaneous rendition of Bauhaus' classic, “Bela Lugosi's Dead,” with the award winning nine-piece jazz ensemble, Planet D Nonet (which has now mutated into the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra). In this unique take on the song, Bela Lugosi meets up with Cab Calloway's Minnie the Moocher for a delirious sojourn down in Chinatown where they inevitably end up “kicking the gong around.”

Recorded at Detroit’s celebrated Tempermill Studio with seasoned engineer David Feeny (Jack White / Loretta Lynn) and working closely with the talented arranger, band leader, saxophonist, and clarinetist Joshua James, David J and company have managed to capture the off kilter essence of Bacchanalian abandon, twisted circus, and dark carnival associated with Theatre Bizarre.

Carpe Noctem comes to you from Hold Fast, a vinyl-only, limited edition record label based in Detroit, and is available in two editions.  The Step Right Up, Try Your Luck Edition includes a 12-inch LP in a gatefold sleeve and purchasers will have a 1 in 4 chance of receiving the free bonus 7-inch featuring a new arrangement of Bauhaus’ goth rock classic, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” The Deluxe Edition includes the 12-inch, a guaranteed free 7-inch of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” a special limited edition art print by John Dunivant, creator/designer of Theatre Bizarre, and is signed by David J, John Dunivant, and Joshua James, leader of the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra.

“There’s a cackle in the rustle of the autumn leaves, something wicked this way weaves!”
- ‘When Zombo Comes To Town’

In 2016, for the first time in its storied history, Theatre Bizarre will open its dark portal for two weekends of immersive, intense performance experiences.  Two consecutive Fridays in October (the 14th and 21st) will play host to an exclusive Gala Masquerade, where revelers will enjoy an open bar, strolling gourmet dinner, valet parking and a unique tour of highlights from the event including performances by David J of Bauhaus and the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra.  Saturdays (the 15th and 22nd) will see a 9-hour marathon spread out over 8 floors.

There are five stages with 20 bands, two dozen performance spaces, two grand ballrooms, dozens of strolling and aerial performers, burlesque stars from around the globe, carnival games, and countless other sensory delights that combine to ensure that partygoers never have a dull moment.

Here is the complete list of performers for Theatre Bizarre 2016

October 14th 2016 - Masquerade Gala

David J (founding member of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets) & the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra
Roxi Dlite
Violet Chachki
The Gabriel Brass Band
Mat Fraser (American Horror Story)
The Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow
Russell Bruner
Brunswick Brawlers
Mercury Suspension
Lords and Ladies
Lady Bones

October 15th 2016 - Theatre Bizarre

Roxi Dlite
Violet Chachki
Black Jake & The Carnies
Timmy's Organism
The Beggars
Russell Bruner
The Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow
Titano Oddfellow
Sister Mary Motherfucker
Mercury suspension
The Potions
The Octopus
Pretty Ghouls
Konqistador
The Whiskey Charmers
Siamese
Tart
Escape Suspension
Satori Circus
Jenn O. Cide
Cecil The Clown
The Gabriel Brass Band

October 21st 2016 - Masquerade Gala

David J (founding member of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets) & the Theatre Bizarre Orchestra
Roxi Dlite
Violet Chachki
The Gabriel Brass Band
Mat Fraser (American Horror Story)
Pretty Ghouls
Russell Bruner
The Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow
Pink Lightning
Mercury Suspension
Lords and Ladies
Lady Bones

October 22nd 2016 - Theatre Bizarre

Roxi Dlite
Violet Chachki
Black Jake & The Carnies
Timmy's Organism
The Beggars
Pretty Ghouls
Russell Bruner
The Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow
Titano Oddfellow
Pink Lightning
Sister Mary Motherfucker
Mercury suspension
Konqistador
The Whiskey Charmers
Siamese
DUENDE!
Tart
Escape Suspension
Satori Circus
HafLife
Jenn O. Cide
Cecil The Clown
The Gabriel Brass Band
Brunswick Brawlers