Nestled right in Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, adorned with a twelve-foot tall red high heel, is the glamorous Roxy’s Cabaret. Roxy’s is a drag queen-run entertainment haven complete with “cocktails, food, fun and fabulosity,” according to the Cabaret itself. With an eye-catching slogan like that, my friend Esther Howard and I decided to check it out for ourselves – specifically the Tuesday night “Drag Bingo.” We were dazzled by our experience, and I am eager to share why you should sacrifice what would’ve been a run-of-the-mill Tuesday night for Roxy’s night of sassy, spectacular fun.
Upon arrival, you are met with sleek, black furniture, mirrors on the back wall and multi-colored lights topped off with, of course, a disco ball. There’s also a full bar and a table of fabulous prizes in front of it for you to start your thoughts of “what would I grab?” early.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Drag Queen Monica West, our witty, hilarious, and above all, glamorous host for the night.
Besides being a unique source of entertainment for Minneapolis’ inhabitants and out-of-towners looking for a fun night out, Roxy’s Cabaret prides itself on helping various non-profit organizations, which is West’s favorite part of the operation. Fundraising through electrifying drag events gives important initiatives a platform for their work and an opportunity to raise enough to keep them going.
Fundraisers they have helped include but are not limited to: St. Jude, Rainbow Whiskers, AIDS/LifeCycle, Horses for Humans, various queer sports leagues and more. Additionally, making this a focal point of how they operate their business comes into play by honoring how someone typically gets started in the drag scene. Individuals getting their start in drag often build their launch pad upon an interested non-profit organization, and as a way of giving back to these initiatives and the community supporting them, drag royalty will fulfill philanthropic efforts through their art.
“Part of drag is that your start is funded behind a nonprofit organization, it’s instilled in drag,” West said.
Speaking of fabulous fundraisers through Roxy’s Cabaret, I had the exciting opportunity to talk to Nikhil Enugula, Director of Programming for that night’s fundraiser, the “Minnesota Gay Flag Football League” (MGFFL). Enugula is a Hamline Alumni and former hall director of Manor and Sorin Halls, and he talked about how Roxy’s Cabaret unifies the community and has a reputation for being inclusive and fun for everyone.
“It’s well known and fun with drag queens, and brings the community together as an organization,” Enugula said.
“Historically, queer people haven’t been given the same access to sports, so fundraising like this enables queer people to have access to sports like flag football,” Enugula said.
After seeing Enugula’s photos from his time at Hamline, Howard and I made our way to our table and excitedly waited for the event to start. In the meantime, we both ordered a delicious mocktail cheekily called “A Crime of Passion,” a deliciously savory orange and vanilla concoction with a delightful punch with a cinnamon-like flavor. In addition to a fun mocktail menu, they have a fully stocked bar and milkshakes (a personal favorite of West’s). They also have a delicious menu with onion rings, fries, chicken and other classic bar food items.
Right before the main show, the host of the night comes around and hands out bingo cards, and you are given your first taste of the iconic humor that comes with Roxy’s excellent roster of queens. You are allowed as many as your heart desires; they come in at $10 (cash only) each. In addition, if you had a “bad card,” you’re welcome to trade it in at any point throughout the night.
There are several different bingo variants throughout the night, ranging from classic bingo to the “six-pack round,” where you must get three lines side by side. A thrilling round that I won is titled “The biggest loser,” where everyone shoots up from their chairs and the host calls out the numbers as usual, but if you have any called numbers on your board, you must sit down. The room will inform you of this, too, with West having the room yell, “Sit your ass down!” brashly at those who had the unfortunate demise of having a number called.
Once I was the last one standing, I rushed up to the stage for a prize from West herself. I could introduce myself and explain to the crowd that I was writing for Hamline’s newspaper. Upon hearing I now live in my apartment off campus, West instructed me to choose something “very demure, very mindful” from the prize table. I settled upon a set of white, heart-shaped nesting bowls, perfect for my fiancé and I’s collection of fun dishes.
We made our way out at 9:00 p.m., playing fun games for the evening, ending with a coverall bingo challenge. As we left, taking a second look at the shiny Cabaret before us, lit up with Broadway-style lights, we discussed how invigorating our night had been.
“I enjoyed how interactive it was, with the entertainers constantly speaking to the crowd,” Howard said.
We both highly enjoyed the constant entertainment West provided throughout the night. It was raunchy and clever, and ignited full bouts of laughter around the room. I asked Howard if she’d be willing to recommend the event to others or attend it again herself.
“Yes, it was a fun night out! The service is also great. Props to the main server,” Howard said.
Overall, Roxy’s Cabaret is a fantastic, queer-based destination for a fun night out, fundraising for your organization and positively impacting the community. No matter who you are, how you identify or where you come from, there’s a place here to help you open up your mind and heart to laughter, excitement and a beautiful community around you.
