Every artist knows the rule of live performance: the show must go on.

Over the past year, I built what was meant to be a bold next chapter — taking this work on the road, carrying the strange, beautiful, healing world of cabaret into new spaces and new communities. What started as a dream between collaborators became real bookings, real contracts, and real commitments.

And then, as sometimes happens in both art and life, the script changed unexpectedly.

My coproducer recently shared that they had been navigating a prolonged manic period during much of our planning process and, for the sake of their health, have stepped away from the project entirely. I hold deep compassion for their honesty and their need to prioritize stability. At the same time, their departure leaves me carrying the financial and production responsibilities we originally planned to share.

So here I am — costumes half-built, contracts signed, dates on the calendar, and a choice to make:

Cancel… or rise to meet the moment.

If you know me or my work, you probably know which I chose.

Cult Your Nights is a liberation-based cabaret with burlesque as its cornerstone, and this year marks our very first tour. Our mission is to unite artists through their unique cultures and foster meaningful cultural exchange. In a world that often feels divided, I believe it’s more important than ever to remember that our liberation is communal—something we achieve together, not alone. At every stop, a Cult Your Nights performer will share a piece of our culture, and I’ll cast two local artists in each city to represent their own communities. This approach makes every show a unique celebration of diversity and connection.

The tour starts in Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana this April, and we’re thrilled to bring the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. But making this vision a reality takes resources. The funds raised will help cover travel expenses, fair pay for all artists, costumes and set pieces, per diem for traveling performers, lodging, and—most importantly—the significant venue fees that come with putting on a show of this scale. Every contribution helps us ensure that artists are supported and that each performance is as vibrant and inclusive as possible.

This fundraiser is not just about saving a tour. It’s about protecting years of work built in community. It’s about believing that independent artists deserve to keep going even when the safety net disappears. It’s about making sure the performers and collaborators involved are treated with care and respect.

The $5,000 goal will help cover: Travel and transportation Lodging Costumes and production design Existing venue obligations Paying artists as fairly as possible

Cabaret has always been the art form of resilience of turning hardship into rhinestones, truth into spectacle and survival into shimmy's.

If you believe in independent performance…If you believe art should still be brave…If you believe the show should go on…

I would be honored if you helped me carry it forward.

And if you can't give, sharing this is an act of producing too.

Thank you for supporting this tradition of sharing and investing in a more liberated, fun, and art-filled future. With your help, we can make Cult Your Nights a beacon of creativity and community in every city we visit.

with Gratitude and Grit,

JoRose