Boggstown Cabaret Returns

Housed in a building that was built as a Redman’s Lodge in 1873, the two-story building that now houses the Boggstown Cabaret has had many incantations, as have most buildings its age. It has been home to a barber shop, a men’s athletic club and a grocery store.

In the 1960s, it was remodeled into apartments on the upper story. Starting its most recent life in 1984, Carlos Gray began the Boggstown Supper Club with ragtime entertainment, including dueling pianos, comedians and banjo players. It was so successful, the owner took his show on the road to Branson Missouri, leaving others to carry on the entertainment in Boggstown.

This is where Brad Zumwalt, the current owner came into the picture.  He met Carlos Gray in Branson Missouri, and his current co-owner, Russell Moss.  Russell was from LA and was a participant in the Branson show.  The Branson show was not as successful as the one in Boggstown had been.  Carlos offered Russ and Brad a job at the Cabaret in Indiana.  Brad was a commercial banker in California at the time, and was looking for a change of pace after his bank was robbed two times in two weeks.  Taking a leave of absence from his job in California he worked on the business and promotions side for the Cabaret in Boggstown. 

In 1999, Carlos offered to sell the Cabaret to Russ and Brad.  They accepted.  Brad took care of the business side while Russ was the performer. The cabaret was closed at first for remodeling.  A new stage was built, and the down-home burlap was removed from the walls. 

The remodeled space definitely has a more Moulin Rouge feel, with scads of red velvet and gold sequins.  The stage is a gorgeous glossy black tile.  Initially they started with the same ragtime performances Carols had favored.  Brad worked on packaging shows on bus tours from Indianapolis and Brown County. Brad got the Cabaret on nationwide lists of bus tours, working at conventions to get even more visitors.  These bus tours were quite successful and put Boggstown Cabaret on the map as a destination. 

Eventually, the original cabaret performers who specialized in vaudeville and true ragtime got older. Brad remembers what a scandal it was when he brought in percussion instruments. The banjo players also left.  Eventually the Cabaret slowed down, while Brad focused on their other theater in Brown County, the Palace Theater. Brad and Russ wrote all their shows and musicals, and this pace was hard to keep up with two theaters.

They also purchased the Ordinary Restaurant in Brown County, owning and operating it for five years. Quite coincidentally, it was built as a sister lodge to the Redman’s Lodge in Boggstown.  Both buildings have the exact same original layout.

The Boggstown Cabaret has been closed for the past few years, but is remodeled and ready for its grand opening.  Brad maintains the building was built as a gathering place, and it hates to be empty. When people aren’t gathering there strange things start happening.  The pipes have burst; the basement has flooded. Once when the basement was flooded a server’s tray stored on the other side of the kitchen was inexplicably set up blocking the entrance to the basement.  Lights burn out, the complicated stage lights go on and off by themselves and batteries go dead.  The piano has also played by itself and footsteps can be heard on the stage when the building is empty. According to Brad, you can just feel the energy in the building.

There are reported to be at least three ghosts. A small boy has been spotted in the kitchen by the ice machine by an employee.  The same boy has also been spotted by diners in the dining room. Two of the cabaret’s elder patrons have also died in the theater.    A waitress was once using the bathroom upstairs when the shower curtain suddenly came flying open by itself. She ran downstairs still in a state of undress she was so frightened. 

Brad has totally returned the upstairs to its former glory.  Carpet has been removed to reveal the original hardwood floor and the drop ceiling has been removed. It is a beautiful polished space filled with antiques, refurbished organs and theater memorabilia.  Brad envisions serving Hors D'oeuvres upstairs before the show, re-establishing it as a gathering place.  The meeting space for the lodge was originally upstairs.  When the carpet was removed the outline of the small stage could be seen.

The theater is currently showing a murder mystery, “Let’s Have a Weddin’.”  The show is about an aristocratic family, the Dinkle Dingers and their son’s marriage to the lower-class Hoe family.  The audience is encouraged to pick which side of the family they belong to and dress accordingly. 

The cast includes familiar faces to audiences of shows performed in Hope at Willow Leaves, Jason Bowser, Julia Fisher, Connie Kiviniemi-Baylor, Stephen Planalp and your very own town crier Jessica Brown as an understudy. Regular Boggstown devotees will recognize long time cabaret performer Beth Wallis in the cast.  Piano player Dan Tuddle will be playing piano for the Cabaret, as he has since 1984.   

The show premiered on Valentine’s Day weekend and still has performances available on March, April and May.  Show dates are March 7, 21 and 22, April 7,5,18, and 19, May 2, 3, 6 and 17.  Call 317-224-9509 for reservations.