The PDX Varietease Cabaret Presents VARIETEASE CABARET

The Varietease Cabaret presents accomplished variety arts entertainers in a format echoing that of the American vaudeville houses of yesteryear. Fitted with a live band, master of ceremonies, and some of the most entertaining variety entertainers in the business, no two evenings are ever alike. Many of our artists have spent years gracing the stages of Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers, and the big tops and variety arts houses of Europe.

Performers include: Charlie Brown (MC), Cory Sylvester (German Wheel), Jolene Dickerson (Aerial Artist), Jon Dutch, Zelah (Poi), Patricia Charms, Michael O'Neil, Omri & Paulina (Aerial Artists), Patrick McGuire (juggler), live music by Courtney Von Drehle & Friends, DJ NADA DJ (nOahVeiL)

Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown is one of the finest cigar box jugglers in the world. And that's just the beginning for this consummate professional!

Whether it's blazing torches, balls, tophats, broadswords or tossing machetes on his double high teeter-board, Charlie delivers!

A hilarious multi-talented performer, Charlie manipulates his props and audiences with breathtaking skill. His special blend of absurd comedy and technical feats create a memorable experience for everyone! Jon Dutch

Jon is a member of Rose City Acro Devils, a circus troupe formed in 2013, based out of Portland Oregon. RAD specialize in ground, partner and group acrobatics, hand balancing, contortion, aerial, juggling and prop manipulation, stilt and stilt acrobatics. They then combine it all with character and creativity, to create a unique show unlike any other.

Cory Sylvester
Cory's circus career was sparked in 1996 during a hike, upon seeing a chipmunk flip around a branch, do another flip in the air and land on the ground. A simple moment of nature's playfulness had a profound impact. Shortly after, Cory went to see Cirque du Soleil's "Quidam," where he witnessed a warrior- in his eyes, move and manipulate the German Wheel around the stage. Filled with inspiration, what at first was a small spark now was fueled and the flame was ignited. Cory was presented with a fire strong enough to run with the inspiration to be a professional circus performer. Slow going at first, Cory's process would take him on a ten-year journey of training, stick-to-it-tiveness (that's a made up word) and a series of serendipitous events to eventually land him the same role that had inspired him once upon a time ago before.

He cried for twenty minutes when Cirque du Soleil called him to offer him the solo German Wheel act in the now ten years old "Quidam."

And thus began the next ten years of Cory's journey. Traveling around the world, performing for thousands of people each night, Cory honed his craft and fulfilled his warrior role through the closing of Quidam in February 2016.

Jolene Dickerson
Founding Afterglow Aerial Arts in 2014 is one of Jolene's favorite achievements. A performer down to the soul, she has been a dancer her entire life. Circus & aerial arts sparked her interest back in 2007. For the past 10 years, aerial has taken over her world. She has worked with many troupes, DJs, festivals, and circuses around the world and continues to keep the flame alive by creating up new and innovative ideas. She recently took a long break to bring her magical little baby, Miss Vivian Bloom, into the world. Stay tuned for what is brewing up next.

Patricia Charms
Born in Singapore and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Patricia Charms is known as Portland's first and only stilt walking striptease pole artist. She began stilt walking four years ago when she joined the Sci-Fidelic circus metal band Super Geek League as a character performer, and has been delighting audiences at nine feet tall ever since. Her tantalizing performance is featured at Dante's Sinferno Cabaret, listed by Burlesque Magazine as one of the Top 10 Burlesque shows in the USA. Notable performances include rocking the stage at Sasquatch! Music Festival, performing for Snoop Dogg, flying over Seattle Hempfest tossing daisies out of a helicopter, and modeling nudes in the subarctic landscapes of Iceland. Dazzling and delicious, Patricia enjoys enlivening audiences with her two peg legs and her hopeful smile.

Zelah Pandemonium
Zeah has been performing most of her life. Fire dancing, burlesque, clown acts, acro balance, and acting.

Michael O' Neill
Michael O'Neill is a teacher, director, and performer who works in a wide range of styles, including clown, commedia dell'arte, new vaudeville, musical theatre, Shakespeare, and devised theatre. Michael brings a rich educational background to his work: he received his BA from Castleton State College, is a graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and completed his graduate work at the University of Portland, receiving a Masters in Fine Arts in Directing in 2010.

Michael has performed in all fifty states and more than a dozen countries over the last 20 years, from clown to vaudeville to puppeteering. Recently, Michael directed and performed in The Spirit of Magic, which had a sixteen-week run on the Portland Spirit in Portland Oregon. Portland has also seen Michael's directing work the Commedia dell'Arte show "A Servant of Two Masters" at the University of Portland, a production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at George Fox University, and vaudeville/variety shows such as Portland's highly-successful annual Clowns Without Borders benefit shows. A co-founder of the Nomadic Theatre Company, Michael has directed and performed in several Nomadic productions. As an educator, he has written curriculum and taught students in public and private schools, from pre-kindergarten through university levels.

Omri & Paulina
An aerial duo that specializes in duo straps and aerial acts that combine a high level of technicality and strength with emotion, storytelling, and compelling chemistry. They strive not only to amaze and inspire, but also speak to the soul of the audience.

Omri is a former international bobsled driver and competed in international competition for 7 years before discovering aerial. He has also worked as an animal trainer for animals ranging from dogs to killer whales. He Is also a former competitive gymnast and nationally ranked swimmer. He discovered aerial arts and developed a skill set based in high-level strength and dynamic to static precision.

Paulina was a competitive karate athlete and studied martial arts as a child. She later discovered her passion for dance and has performed with a dance company for 10 years. As an aerialist, Paulina has mastered multiple apparatuses (including some unique and invented ones) and has a strong sense for combining intentional movement and dance with high-level technical skills.

Patrick McGuire
Patrick McGuire is a Portland-based professional juggler and variety entertainer. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he began juggling at the age of twelve. In 1993, just two weeks after graduating high school, Patrick signed a contract with Cirque du Soleil to perform in their first Las Vegas resident show, Mystère. In the course of twelve years, he performed over 4,000 shows with Cirque du Soleil. In addition to his work with Cirque du Soleil, Patrick has presented his one-man show at resorts throughout Mexico's Riviera Maya, spent two years performing in Japan, performed on cruise ships in the Mediterranean and Alaska, and performed in NYC on Broadway with Cirque Mechanics' Birdhouse Factory.

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