All That Glitters, Gala Night

Performed as part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival

Bringing together a handpicked lineup of festival artists for one unmissable event, this showcase offers a preview of what cabaret does best. Expect a taste of irresistible 60s pop bangers with Simply Brill, wet your taste buds for the award-winning, silly and sexy, Sugar, experience some of Auckland’s most iconic drag queens celebrating Caluzzi Cabaret’s 30th Birthday bash, a flash of The Velvet Lounge, and discover Karaoke Heaven.

Stepping into the Wintergarden at The Civic on a cold June night feels like slipping into a hidden speakeasy tucked beneath the city. The room glows with warm amber light, the air hums with chatter, and the velvet‑lined corners seem to swallow the outside world whole. It is the perfect setting for All That Glitters, Gala Night, the official opening of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival. The space feels intimate, secretive, and just a little decadent, as if the audience has been invited into a private party rather than a public showcase.

The evening is guided by Luke Bird, who arrives with the confidence of someone who knows exactly how to work a room. He keeps the crowd loud, playful, and ready to lean into the chaos. His two costume changes are not just wardrobe shifts but full character resets, each one adding to the sense that he is as much a performer as anyone else on the bill. He teases, he sings, he banters, and he makes sure the audience stays warm in every sense of the word. His hosting is the thread that ties the night together.

The show itself is a sampler platter of the festival’s upcoming acts, a glittering tasting menu designed to tempt rather than satisfy. Each performance is brief, almost fleeting, but that is the point. The night is not about depth. It is about appetite. It is about giving the audience just enough to crave more.

The first taste comes from Sugar, the award‑winning silly‑and‑sexy pop cabaret creation of Tomáš Kantor. They shimmer under the lights, radiating charisma from the moment they sit at the piano. Their set is a burst of energy, sass, and storytelling, stitched together with a soundtrack of pop icons like Kylie, Gaga, Lorde, and Chappell Roan. The humour lands, the vocals soar, and the audience warms instantly. Sugar feels like the perfect opener: bold, cheeky, and impossible to ignore.

From there, the mood shifts into nostalgia with a slice of Simply Brill, a tribute to the legendary Brill Building and the teenage songwriters who shaped the sound of the 1960s. Amelia Ryan, Michaela Burger, and Michael Griffiths bring harmonies that feel effortless, weaving stories about Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, and the hit‑makers who defined a generation. Their segment is short but charming, a bright and playful reminder of how many iconic songs were born in that one New York building. The audience claps along, laughs at the banter, and seems genuinely delighted by the trio’s chemistry.

Then the glamour level spikes. A group of Auckland’s most iconic drag performers take the stage, including the incomparable Anita Wigl’it, known from Drag Wars, House of Drag, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. They arrive like a glitter bomb detonating in the Wintergarden. Fast‑paced tracks, sharp choreography, and a level of crowd interaction that borders on fearless. They celebrate the 30th birthday of Caluzzi Cabaret with a performance that is loud, proud, and unapologetically camp. The room erupts. The queens feed off the energy and give it right back.

The night then dips into the world of burlesque with a glimpse of The Velvet Lounge, featuring Michelle Kasey and Kiki Kisses. Their acts could not be more different, and that contrast is part of the charm. Kiki offers a classic feather‑fan tease, elegant and slow, with every movement deliberate and sensual. Michelle brings a comedic, story‑driven strip that blends glamour with humour, turning the stage into a tiny theatre of desire and mischief. Both performers command the room in their own way, and the audience responds with the kind of warmth that only a cozy Wintergarden crowd can give.

The final taste of the night comes from Karaoke Heaven, led by Amanda Grace Leo, who steps away from her tarot‑reading persona to deliver a set inspired by the Mandopop songs of her childhood. She is small in stature but enormous in voice, filling the room with a sound that surprises those who have never heard her sing. For multilingual audience members, the performance hits with emotional clarity. For English‑only listeners, the meaning may be lost, but the feeling is unmistakable. Her presence is joyful, sincere, and deeply personal.

What ties the night together is the sense of being in a warm, hidden bar while the rain falls somewhere far above. The Wintergarden’s architecture, with its low ceiling and glowing lamps, creates a cocoon around the audience. The performers seem to feed off that closeness. Even the shortest acts feel intimate. You can see the sparkle in their eyes, the breath between notes, the tiny details that get lost in larger venues.

Because each act is limited to only a few minutes, the night moves quickly. Some performances feel like they end just as they begin. Others leave you wanting a full hour. But that is the design. This is a gala, not a full show. It is a promise. A whisper. A tease. The festival is two weeks long, and this night is the invitation.

The variety is impressive. Pop cabaret. Sixties nostalgia. Drag excellence. Burlesque glamour. Multilingual karaoke storytelling. The lineup feels like a celebration of everything cabaret can be: loud, soft, silly, sensual, nostalgic, modern, and deeply human. The performers do not compete for attention. They complement one another, each adding a different flavour to the night.

Luke Bird’s hosting keeps the energy buoyant. He knows when to push the crowd, when to let them breathe, and when to lean into the absurdity of the moment. His presence is warm and cheeky, and he seems genuinely delighted to be part of the chaos.

By the end of the night, the Wintergarden feels even smaller, as if the audience has been drawn closer together by the shared experience. The final applause is loud, lingering, and full of anticipation. The gala does exactly what it promises. It gives you a taste of the festival’s heart, then sends you out into the night wanting more.

All That Glitters, Gala Night is not a full meal. It is a platter of amuse‑bouches served in a velvet‑lined speakeasy beneath one of Auckland’s most iconic theatres. It is warm, playful, and full of sparkle. It is the perfect way to open a festival built on sass, spectacle, and the joy of live performance.

Part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival. Find tickets and event info here

Recommended 18+

Review written by Alex Moulton