'A Place to Escape': Seattle's Can Can Culinary Cabaret celebrates 20 years

Of all my treasured spots in Seattle (and there are many!), Can Can is my happy place.

I've been fortunate to attend three shows at the iconic culinary cabaret — "Dolly," "Hitchcock Hotel" and "Noir" — and each time, I fall more and more in love with it. How could you not?

On a quiet Tuesday in early January, I was lucky enough to sit down with Jonathan Betchtel, Chris and Fae Pink upstairs in Can Can's Dressing Room. Surrounded by the blues and reds, the velvet and art that adorn the walls and booths, they reminisced on 20 years of Can Can.

These three are among many who call this magical place in Pike Place Market home.

Chris and Fae, the founder and choreographer of Can Can, met at the theater in 2005. After a few years, they fell in love, got married and now have two children. Sounds like a movie, right? That's just the essence of Can Can.

When trying to think of a memory from the past two decades that sticks out to them, they both said the opening night of "Glitter Gala" in 2021.

This was not just a normal show opening — this was the first time they opened their doors after being shut down for 18 months during the COVID pandemic (in an entirely new space, also).

"The second Shadou came down from that chandelier; confetti was falling. I was just, you know, crying," said Chris.

It's a moment that still has the ability to bring them to tears, as if reliving that "cathartic, emotional" moment over again.

When you arrive at Can Can Culinary Cabaret, you are invited to leave your worries at the door.

You are greeted by smiling faces and fabulous makeup (because a performer is often the one at the door). You walk into a space saturated in color and twinkling lights. You'll find bartenders mixing up cocktails, bedazzled cowboy hats for sale at merchandise and people chatting in velvet-clad booths as you make your way to the stairs that will lead you to a world of wonder.

The theater is dark, moody and intimate — the only glow created by the dimmest of lights and small candles on each table. This is the time to order a drink and some food (French-inspired Northwest fare) because, once the music cues the start of the show, you will be entirely encapsulated by what happens next.

"There's so much that's going on in the world, so much heartache, and I don't know, dread or stress," Fae said. "When you enter the doors, people can leave their troubles behind and enter into a different world of escape and joy and beauty. And to me, that's what it's all about, is providing that little escape for people."

Can Can is a dinner theater that puts on some of the best and most unique cabaret and burlesque shows in the Pacific Northwest.

And this year, it turns 20.

"We can easily do 30," said Chris. "I've got another 10 years for sure."

Can Can started as humble beginnings in 2005, founded by Chris — who was inspired by composers like Kurt Weill, with dreams of opening his own mico cabaret — originally in a small space more nestled underneath Pike Place.

"Instead of producing all these like crazy events that have all of these logistical nightmares and all of these things, I'm just gonna operate the simplest, smallest little thing. I just have one stage. It's gonna be so easy," Chris said with a laugh when reminiscing on his initial vision for Can Can. "Anyways, it was 10 times more complex than what I was doing before."

In 2021, they moved locations just up the street during the pandemic, tripling its size. Over the course of two decades and more than 7,000 shows, it has cemented itself as a fixture in the Market. This is a place where people can come together five nights a week to share a one-of-a-kind experience.

Passion is the overwhelming, palpable energy you can't help but feel when you are at Can Can. It's a place where a dancer who suffered an injury has found a second chance to perform. It's a place where love stories have blossomed. It's a place where 70 employees work tirelessly to plan shows, learn choreography, curate food menus, make costumes and create new stages in a matter of days.

"We were all literally born to do what we do," said Chris. "It's like, somehow, we were able to all find ourselves in this weird little spot [...] all of us are so passionate and just work endlessly to make this thing work."

It's a place where someone has started behind the scenes and found their way to center stage — like Betchtel, who started as a busboy and is now co-owner and emcee at Can Can.

"My life was pretty much like 'Glee,' all the football players were in choir together," he said. "I went to Cornish for dance, and then through this crazy series of connections, my senior at Cornish, I ended up going out to drinks with this insane man who's opening the Can Can."

Chris said Betchtel had such an undeniable star quality about him that the only option was to put him in shows. If you have seen one at Can Can, you've seen Betchtel in action. He commands the stage, leads the audience, spins around otherworldly fast on a chandelier, and, honestly, you've likely seen his bare behind.

"I feel selfish in a great way. I get to have so much fun at work," he said. "I get to have so much fun with the audience and with my fellow performers, and we get to have so much fun creating. It's never not been a joy, even when things went wrong, it's still wildly entertaining and fun, and I don't ever want to stop."

Can Can has some very exciting things happening in 2025 to celebrate the milestone. Their 20th anniversary show, "Carnival," premieres on Thursday, March 20.

"That'll be a little bit of an ode to old Can Can," Chris said. "That will be [...] where we're putting all of our kind of creative energy."

Another exciting development is that Can Can is expanding to Portland with a brand new location opening later this year.

It's a major accomplishment to reach 20 years, for any business. For these three people who have put their heart and soul into Can Can, it's a mix of emotions. Fae said she "feels tired" after 20 years but full of endless gratitude.

"I was always a performer and thought that my career in this industry would expire, like maybe when I started having kids," she said. "It's been amazing to be able to continue in this creative land for as long as I have, and to be part of this culture is an amazing gift, so I never take that for granted. I feel extremely lucky to be able to provide careers in the same field that I love so much for these amazing performers."

Can Can is an entity of its own, said Chris. It's a space that feels like it has a soul, made up of each person who has put their love, care, nurturing and energy into it over the past 20 years.

In the beginning, it was hard to guess what Can Can would turn into and the impact it would have on the community. Chris, Fae, Betchtel and all those who make Can Can what it is today do not take that responsibility lightly.

"There's something about all of us making these shows and building a space," said Betchtel. "It feels like an everyday journey to make people believe that magic can happen."

Learn more about Can Can Culinary Cabaret here.

Abby Luschei is Seattle Refined's assistant editor and digital producer. She can be reached at aluschei@seattlerefined.com. Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.