Join us as we take a peek into this stunning cabaret performance.
Stepping out of the bus after a two-hour journey from Bangkok, Thailand, our Japanese-language reporter Kamezawa Ikuna stretched her muscles and twisted the kinks out of her back. Pristine Pattaya Beach stretched left and right as far as the eyes could see, and though she could do with a refreshing dip, that was not what she came here for.
▼ Pattaya is well-known for its transgender beauty pageant, an annual affair that crowned Haruna Ai — a famous transgender woman in Japan — the winner back in 2009.
▼ Indeed, Kamezawa wanted to see the splendid transgender cabaret shows
that some of her friends had been raving about.
▼ Which led her to theater called Alcazar.
▼ Several cabaret shows were held daily there, entertaining up to 1,000 customers.
As she had reserved her VIP seat online through their website beforehand, all she paid was a mere 600 baht (US$18.90) compared to customers who had to pay 1,000 baht at the ticket booth. For an entertaining show lasting 70 minutes, it was well worth the money.
▼ She picked a seat three rows away from the front,
which turned out to be prime location for taking pictures.
▼ The cabaret show was made up of 10-minute segments,
usually starting with dancing young men.
Brief flashes of the navel or butt cheeks in the men’s outfits made Kamezawa grin impishly, and when the pants-wearing men winked and blew kisses at male members of the audience, she could not help but laugh along with the crowd.
▼ The men’s dances transitioned into dynamic performances
from gorgeous transgender women.
She was surprised to find that they adopted dance formations similar to idol groups in Japan, where lead performers took center stage and became the focus of the entire group’s movements.
▼ From the way these three moved,
it was obvious they were the stars of tonight’s show.
▼ Kamezawa wished she had half of their grace and elegance.
▼ The performances featured vibrant multicultural themes from countries like India…
▼ …and China, all with flowery costumes and charming outfits to match.
▼ Colorful traditional Korean dresses made an impact on the audience…
▼ …while extravagant Middle Eastern garbs drew oohs and ahhs.
▼ And when the dazzling American dance finished…
▼ …the theater erupted in roaring applause.
According to the staff, Japan-theme dances were actually held in the theater until a few years ago, but a decline in Japanese tourists had caused the organization to pull them out in favor of those that resonate more with their audience. Regardless, our reporter was glad to enjoy fantastic acts from different countries.
▼ As she left the building,
she chanced upon a photography session with the dancers.
▼ All it took was 100 baht for her to cozy up to her favorite performer and snap pictures.
Posing beside the stunning transgender woman who could easily pass off as a model, Kamezawa was reminded of how beautiful these people are. Our reporter sighed under her breath and vowed to take up gym classes when she returned home.
▼ All in all, it was an excellent travel destination,
with lots of delicious food that made her feel right at home.
Kamezawa was already missing Pattaya Beach as she stepped into the cool interior of the airplane, regretting her decision of not staying a little longer. With any luck, her next adventure would bring her back here just in time to celebrate Thailand’s water festival, and perhaps watch another beautiful cabaret performance again.
Images: ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!