Toushin was put in charge of the Bijou in 1970 with the venue eventually showing gay films exclusively in 1978. The Bijou Theater was owned and operated by American pornographer Steven Toushin. The diversity and inclusiveness featured in these productions garnered a following of show goers, that often included heterosexual men, women and couples, who would have otherwise never visited Bijou Theater. Miss Tiger's comedic timing and ability to involve the audience into the show was legendary. Miss Tiger's Cabaret was irreverent, camp, sometimes political and thought provoking all in one. Sukie was quoted as saying, "Miss Tiger is a star! Nobody else is doing this kind of thing." Miss Tiger would later write a popular advice column for Nightspots, a weekly Chicago LGBTQIA entertainment magazine. Sukie de la Croix of the Windy City Times.
Many shows were photographed and reviewed by St. Each production featured theatrical lighting, original costumes and set design. Original music was created by Chicago music producer, DJ Christian, who often accompanied Miss Tiger in music bookings outside of the theater. Cast members included a few of the dancers from the erotic cabaret but were mostly singers and actors from Chicago's thriving community theater scene.
This cabaret was unlike the former Bijou cabaret, due to its including both a male and female cast and featured very little nudity. New shows were introduced about every eight weeks with productions taking place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm each night. The cabaret shows were written and directed by Miss Tiger and were the first of their kind to be performed at Bijou Theater. Miss Tiger's Cabaret featured live singing, original music and original plays.
Eventually, these more explicit shows were separated from a newly formed venue known as Miss Tiger's Cabaret. The cabaret began to shift from typical go-go boy show to an avant garde, high production value venue under the direction of Miss Tiger. Showtimes were select afternoons and nightly.
#Bijou theater seating full#
Performances featured full nudity and there were typically three to four dancers a show. The Bijou Boys Erotic Cabaret featured solo performances by local and national male dancers. In warm weather, the club opened the Bijou Gardens, an outdoor playground. Guests were invited to rent a locker to store their street clothes and change into their " play clothing". Travel magazines implored readers to explore the "gay man's fantasy playground" replete with glory holes, dark corners, and a BDSM dungeon with slings, crosses, and other fetish objects. The Bijou Theater was widely recognized for its second-floor sex club. Titles found on the website were then available for purchase at the DVD counter. A desk and computer were set up for patrons who would like to peruse the Bijou's website listing over 14,000 titles. The theater's lobby hosted a DVD counter to purchase gay adult films. The Bijou Theater featured a 15-by-18-foot silver screen and seats 77 people in anchored, theater-style cushioned seating. The theater permanently closed its door on September 30, 2015. The theater also hosted live shows featuring adult entertainers, a non-sexual cabaret show written and directed by drag entertainer Miss Tiger and special appearances by gay porn stars. The Bijou Theater featured the "Bijou Classics"-adult films produced by Bijou Video in the 1970s and 1980s-every Monday. The Bijou Theater opened in 1970 and it was the longest-running gay adult theater and sex club in the United States. The Bijou Theater (often referred to as The Bijou) was a gay adult theater and sex club in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Gay adult theater and sex club in Chicago
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