Brighter days for Spotlight Cabaret
Recent sold-out events follow a run of bad luck for eclectic performance venue
Aimée Beaudoin and Jeff Halaby have a surprising amount of sparkle considering their past couple of years.
The two launched Spotlight Cabaret in the spring of 2019. But with opening issues — including a business licence dispute that closed their doors even before the pandemic arrived, followed by the sledgehammer of COVID -19 shutdowns — it feels like their Whyte Avenue entertainment venue is still the new kid on the block.
Thankfully, a hot and sunny summer has made Spotlight's rooftop patio, with its impressive view at 8217 104 St., one of the best in the city. That, along with a public thirst for live entertainment, has led to sold-out events in recent weeks.
Who knew Drag Queen Bingo (which filled more than 80 seats over two shows on a recent Wednesday) would be such a hit?
“We feel like we have hit our stride,” Beaudoin says. “We know our audience.”
A UNIQUE GROOVE
Spotlight offers a unique blend of entertainment geared to promote Edmonton's large and diverse talent pool. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights feature the cabaret's mainstay of dinner theatre.
But if dinner and a show isn't your thing, the rest of the week offers a wide range of pleasures, including bourbon and burlesque nights, duelling piano parties and Saturday jazz matinees with Dave Babcock.
One-off evenings pepper the calendar, including the recent Edmonton Comedy Fest Dinner and Show and sold-out evenings of music and munching with Alfie Zappacosta and friends.
“Edmonton is chock-full of talent,” Halaby says. “We know the actors and the comedians and the musicians. Our circle of friends is that. People are amazed by the talent at Spotlight.”
No matter who headlines, Beaudoin and Halaby are the glue in the gun. The two are on-site virtually whenever the space is open. They welcome crowds, wait tables, plus sing, dance and act during the musicals — which they also write.
“Throw some songs on SCTV,” is how Halaby describes the musicals. “It's about comedy. We want people to be laughing and having a good time.”
TELEVISION NUTS
The two have been friends and colleagues for years.
They met more than a decade ago as writers and performers on the groundbreaking sketch comedy show Caution: May Contain Nuts, an APTN creation that has garnered multiple nominations at the Canadian Comedy Awards, the Gemini Awards and the Canadian Screen Awards.
“We just had so much fun together on that show,” Halaby says. “We made each other laugh so hard.”
Thereafter, they talked about finding a way to work together again, but life pulled them in different directions. Halaby, 47, was a real estate agent for a time, as well as part owner of Louisiana Purchase (where he still has an interest). Beaudoin, 37, was preoccupied performing for 12 years at Jubilations Dinner Theatre while also producing and directing shows in Edmonton and Vancouver.
Whenever they saw each other, the friends kicked around ideas for a business, until they finally decided there was a niche for an Edmonton entertainment venue that did not specialize in just one thing.
“We said, `Lets do it all because no one is doing it all,'” Beaudoin recalls.
It took them several years to find a space, eventually landing on Whyte Avenue at the former O2's restaurant location — owned at the time by mutual friends who are now Spotlight business partners. They renovated the inside space (with a lot of help from talented supporters) to recreate an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1920s in Hollywood and New York.
Chef Chanel Larmand heads the team preparing meals for the entertainment offerings, as well as keeping hunger at bay on the 70-seat patio (where heaters are extending the outdoor season as long as possible).
There's no denying the stress of the startup; Spotlight Cabaret was closed for nine months in the last year, which put a strain on the bank account.
It's been open at half capacity since May, but until September, the owners focused on running the patio. Now, they are cautiously rolling out their fall and winter entertainment options.
WINTER HEAT
The new musical Moolah Rouge (think Moulin Rouge meets Call My Agent) kicks off on Oct. 22 and runs until the end of the year. The show stars (you guessed it) Halaby and Beaudoin, but also the emerging talents of Tyler Pinsent and Jamie Hudson.
Directed by Trevor Schmidt, Moolah Rouge features bohemians and showgirls who collide in a “funny and frisky story” filled with song, dance and passion.
Tickets for the 18-plus show start at $55 and include a four-course, French-themed meal. Guests must provide proof of vaccination, or a negative PCR test. For more information, call 780-760-0202 or visit spotlightcabaret.ca.