Vancouver will get a taste of its first “gourmet cabaret cirque” when Bacio Rosso, a next-level take on the dinner-and-a-show concept that takes place under a roving tent, rolls into town on November 1.

Described as a “Moulin Rouge meets Cabaret meets Burlesque”, the three-hour production combines cirque, comedy, and cuisine, and features magicians, jugglers, trapeze artists, clowns, singers, contortionists, and other entertainers. Guests enjoy the performance, which tells a cohesive story on multiple stages and around the audience, while enjoying a four-course meal at a table with friends.

The shows take place from November to December at Queen Elizabeth Park.

“The whole environment blends together completely,” artistic director Scott Malcolm tells the Straight by phone. “It’s integrated and immersive, and not all having dinner, sitting down, and watching a show. It’s all brought together.”

Malcolm, who studied physical theatre in Paris, has produced comparable shows to Bacio Rosso around Europe and the United States for nearly two decades, though the Vancouver run will be the first time he presents a gourmet cabaret cirque in Canada. Similar to those performances, this one will happen under an antique Belgian spiegeltent dubbed the Carrousel, an art nouveau–style structure outfitted with stained-glass windows, red velvet, handcrafted woodwork, and over 2,000 bevelled mirrors.

“It’s a jewel box or treasure from another time, and the show features that feeling as well,” notes Malcolm, who describes the setting as having an “old Europe” feel.

Dinner will be prepared by chef Adam Pegg of local Italian resto La Quercia. A full-service bar will also be onsite.

Malcolm, who was born in Manitoba and resides in Vancouver, says he’s excited to introduce Bacio Rosso to his hometown. Should the show prove successful, he hopes to take it on the road across the country. “To bring this to Vancouver, and finally have it in the same city where I live, is really exciting.”

Tickets to Bacio Rosso start at $109 online. Performances run from November 1 to New Years Eve 2018.