A first-timer's guide
Burlesque Ohlala at the Mirage: the evening, step by step
Doors at half past six, a ringmaster, four courses and a run of burlesque numbers between them — here is the shape of a Wednesday night at the Mirage, in order.
See Burlesque Ohlala tickets on GetYourGuide ↗The evening in order
| Early | Later | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | Doors, seating, first drinks | Courses and acts alternate |
| Time | Doors 6:30pm; arrive before 7pm | Runs to about 10pm |
| Host | Russell Brunner opens the night | Returns between numbers |
| Music | Quiet as guests arrive | The Randy Dandies play live |
| Ending | — | Full-company closing number |
Doors open before the show does
Doors open at 6:30pm and guests are asked to arrive before 7pm, ahead of the 7:30 start, and are shown to their table, stage box or VIP table as they arrive. Because the Mirage assigns every seat to the category booked, there is no queue for seats the way there might be at a venue with open seating — the earlier concern is simply being settled before the room dims and the first course lands.
A ringmaster, not a silent MC
The night is hosted rather than simply announced: Russell Brunner, billed by the venue as its ringmaster, opens the evening and returns between numbers to introduce the next act. It gives the evening a shape closer to a compèred cabaret night than a fixed programme read off a sheet.
Courses and acts run together
Rather than dinner first and a show afterwards, the four courses are served across the evening while the acts run between them. The first course typically lands as the opening choreography from the Cirquettes gets underway, and later courses arrive alongside the solo and ensemble numbers that follow.
The band plays through the gaps
The Randy Dandies provide live jazz and swing in the stretches between acts, rather than recorded music filling the silence. It keeps the room's energy up during the parts of the evening — clearing plates, pouring the next round — that would otherwise go quiet.
How it ends
The night closes with a full-company number before tables are cleared. Guests arriving after the show has started are still welcome in, but are asked to wait for applause before taking their seats so as not to interrupt whichever act is on.