It was another roaring start for Theatre Bizarre, an immersive carnival and Halloween-themed theatrical celebration that’s the largest production of its kind in the world.
Now in its sixth year at the Masonic Temple, the event occupied eight floors and saw thousands of guests on Saturday night; on Friday night it hosted an exclusive sold-out preview gala with only 450 attendees. The schedule repeats Friday and Saturday this weekend — the first time Theatre Bizarre has doubled down on the number of parties.
This year’s theme was “Hail Zombo,” honoring the sinister, grinning clown that’s been the face of Theatre Bizarre since its early days as an underground party near the Michigan State Fairgrounds. From burlesque and boylesque, to fire acrobats, to impressive installations, to dozens of performances and tasty treats (especially in Zombo’s Ice Cream Parlor), it was impossible to catch it all in one night. But guests tried, racing up and down the floors in their costumes to experience what they could.
Between bands, exhibits and rides (yes, there was a Ghost Train), here are the 10 best things we saw at Theatre Bizarre: