Curbed O'Ween Day 2: Theatre Bizarre, The Best Show We Can't Get Into

This weekend, Theatre Bizarre begins its 15th year in bold fashion, with a black-tie gala Friday, and the main event, a blow-out masquerade ball Saturday at Detroit's Masonic Temple. Both of the $250-a-ticket gala and the $80 masquerade ball are 100% sold out, so unless you find something on the resale market, you're out of luck. And this may be true forever. Metro Times reports that organizer John Dunivant struggles at times to keep the lights on—literally. He says that the Masonic's electrical system requires many clever work-arounds involving cables and heat ducts and back hallways.

Because the event has no corporate sponsors or branding, Dunivant told Metro Times that he worries about keeping Theatre Bizarre up and running for the long haul, and that despite the pricey tickets, it's a labor of love that leaves him with debt every year. "If it could become sustainable, I would want it to go on forever," Dunivant told Metro Times. "The opportunity to build something this size and to bring this world to life is amazing. But it's going to kill us." One solution is that next year, organizers hope to do a 2-weekend show. The increased revenues may help stave off a real (and scary) death of sorts for a growing Detroit tradition with a worldwide following.

·This year's Theatre Bizarre could be one of the last [Metro Times]
·Iconic Detroit Building of the Week: Masonic Temple [Curbed Detroit]
·Theatre Bizarre [Theatre Bizarre]