Burlesque at DU (Details TBA)
On Friday, September 25, 2026, Dupont Underground hosts Burlesque Underground, a one-night-only burlesque showcase presented by Metro Cabaret Club and Dupont Underground in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Producer and international burlesque star Aquarius Moon curates a glamorous lineup of Latin performers for an evening of high-energy acts, interactive audience games, and two gallery exhibitions on view inside the space. The program celebrates the showgirl tradition with a diverse cast of award-winning artists from Washington, DC, New York, and New Orleans, blending theatrical flair, music, and live performance in the unique underground venue at 19 Dupont Circle Northwest.
The evening features four headlining performers. Aquarius Moon, an international burlesque queen and producer of DC’s Metro Cabaret Club, is the reigning Sin City Queen of Burlesque and founder of the touring exhibition Every(body) Wants to be a Showgirl. Miss Frankie Eleanor, known as New York City’s “Nuyorican Bombshell,” is a decade-long staple of the New York burlesque scene, Miss Coney Island 2022, founder of Butter Pecan Productions, and host of Nurse Bettie NYC. Gia Vaughna, “The Sweet Mexican Pearl,” is a Houston-born, New Orleans-based performer, singer, and producer behind Ficheras: Live Latin Band & Burlesque, and performs with Trixie Minx Productions and Lola Van Ella’s Van Ella Bordella. Artina Darkly, “The Dazzling Darkness” and “The Tassel-manian Devil,” is a Brooklyn-based, award-winning burlesque performer and nightlife producer raised in a Latin family, and a two-time NY Burlesque Festival Golden Pastie Award winner.
In addition to the performances, the venue will display two gallery exhibits: Veiled Ladies, paintings by Dee Levinson curated by Gaby Mizes, and The Skin of Discomfort, a gallery exhibition by Paola Podestá. Metro Cabaret Club, described as the creative home of Aquarius Moon, produces live shows across DC including Burlesque Underground, Cheeky Martini, and Dance Place After Dark, with a mission to create, inspire, and reflect the showgirl tradition through live performance, archival exhibits, online journalism, and artist development.
When: Friday, September 25, 2026
Showtimes: 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Doors Open: 8:00 PM, with the bar open at 8:00 PM
Tickets: Tickets start at $20.00; all sales are final
Age Restriction: 18+; 21+ to drink
Lineup: Aquarius Moon, Miss Frankie Eleanor, Gia Vaughna, and Artina Darkly
Exhibits: Veiled Ladies (paintings by Dee Levinson, curated by Gaby Mizes) and The Skin of Discomfort (gallery exhibition by Paola Podestá)
Presented by: Metro Cabaret Club and Dupont Underground
Venue: Dupont Underground, 19 Dupont Circle Northwest, Washington, DC 20036
Note: For directions, accessibility, parking, and venue policies, visit dupontunderground.org/plan-your-visit.