Address | 4713 N. Broadway Chicago United States |
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Location | Uptown Chicago |
Coordinates | 41°58′4.39″N 87°39′31.47″W / 41.9678861°N 87.6587417°W |
Public transit |
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Parking |
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Owner | Jim Flint, Christoph Chiavazza |
Type | LGBT |
Genre(s) | Drag |
Capacity | 195 |
Opened | 1969 |
Years active | 1969-present |
Website | |
www |
Baton Show Lounge is a Chicago drag club since 1969. It is famous as the venue for the Miss Continental pageant.
Baton Show Lounge was founded in 1969 in River North.[1][2][3] The first venue's address was 436 N. Clark St.[4] The name was inspired by Flint's time in the Navy as a drum major.[1] He would attract crowds by baton twirling and roller skating on the street.[1]
The early days of the lounge were marked by police raids.[5]
The venue moved to its present address at the Uptown Broadway Building in Uptown at the end of 2018 due to rent hikes.[4] The new venue provides a capacity of 195 seats with an additional disco and bar room.[4] Grand opening of the new location was on April 10, 2019.[4]
Performers put on shows three times a night, five nights a week.[4]
Flint organized the first Miss Continental Pageant in 1980.[4] He started the competition as an inclusive pageant for all female impersonators, including those who have taken hormones or had surgical enhancements.[6][3]
Since 2008, Dance Divas is a group that has held a benefit show for Chicago Dancers United at Baton Show Lounge.[7] Proceeds help members of the arts community with health expenses.[7][8]
The Queens, a documentary directed by Mark Saxenmeyer, premiered in 2020 and focused on the 2011 Miss Continental competition.[10][11][4]
The cast appeared on several shows, including: Phil Donahue, Maury Povich, Oprah, Sally Jesse Raphael, Jenny Jones, People are Talking, 190 North, and ABC 7 New Year's Eve Celebrations.[2]