Meet Mira | Founder & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mira and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mira, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was inspired by the world of burlesque while living in NYC. I had hopes of moving back and pursuing it after finishing school but then the pandemic happened. I had graduated in fashion design with a burlesque inspired line that I didn’t get to put on the runway so I decided to put on a little burlesque show where I could also feature some of my pieces. If the opportunities were not there- I needed to create them for myself. The little socially distant, outdoor burlesque show took off very quickly because people were craving live entertainment and interactions. We are now an entertainment company offering shows, events and workshops with burlesque, aerials, sideshow, magic and more. We feel passionately about delivering memorable and unique experiences with each of our events.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have a background in Fashion Design and was a dancer growing up and as a lover of all things vintage- burlesque was the perfect intersection of these things. I feel my experiences working corporate while being a creative has helped me be successful in running a business in the art world. It helps me think and communicate professionally while also using my creative side in an organized way.

It’s not easy to start your own business. There isn’t a guidebook for how to start a burlesque show. It’s trial and error and a drive to continue to learn and reach even further. You have to pick up new skills along the way but it’s very rewarding.

I hope people see Queen Bee Cabaret as an old world, big city feel in the Midwest. We want to remind people that live entertainment is still the best way to experience art. In the heyday of burlesque in the early 1900’s- Cincinnati was a prominent city for vaudeville and burlesque shows. I feel that we have helped start to bring that back to the city for a new generation along with the other great productions in town.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a trip to Cincinnati I would recommend starting your day with brunch at Sleepy Bee or coffee from Second Sight Spirits. If the weather is nice there are so many beautiful parks to walk through with awesome views of the river such as Eden Park. Findley Market and Vine Street in Over The Rhine are cute areas with lots of art, food and drinks. If the weather isn’t great- we have so many museums! Check out 21c, the Contemporary Art Museum or the Cincinnati Museum Center. For dinner, you really can’t go wrong but my favorite cozy date night spot is Sotto. After that hit underground bar Ghost Baby for awesome live music and continue on to any of the other cute cocktail/mocktail bars near by! Most people are surprised at how many specialty cocktail bars we have in our little city. For late night food- hit Longfellow’s for their pierogis, Gomez for mexican or Drunken Bento for sushi. If you want a country experience check out Carriage House Farm-just 30 min west of the city. They have a bar, market, music festivals, camping and more. Our city has so much to offer!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am today with my business without the help of my husband, Brandon and all of our friends who helped out in the early stages of QBC. People donated their time, expertise and encouraging advice that pushed me to keep moving forward with this idea and get it off the ground. Queen Bee Cabaret is very community based and our relationships are everything to us.

Website: www.queenbeecabaret.com

Instagram: queenbeecabaret