You’re Blocked, Adieu! An Unfettered Rendezvous with Chanel & the Circus
Performer Chanel of Chanel & the Circus, in a theatrical disarranged mental state, eating Tillamook Brownie Batter during their performance of All the Boys I Blocked at the 2025 Rochester Fringe Festival.
The lights go dim as the intensifying lyrics of an alt-rock original, “Why Am I Still Single,” fade across an eager crowd. Enter Chanel, a non-binary, career-focused, accordion-playing hopeless romantic rock star — a jester in silvery harlequin-patterned trousers and a scarlet ruffled collar who is ready to dismantle toxic relationships and the patriarchy one blocked number at a time.
With an accordion wrapped across their body, Chanel begins bellowing out a simple waltz and vocalizing a refrain to shady ex-lovers that their phone numbers have been blocked, and setting the stage for an inclusive night of confessions, improvisation, humor, and the journey towards self-love.
Chanel sings and plays the accordion for their audience, encouraging spectators to sing along with them during the show.
On the surface, Chanel & the Circus highlights the dreadful circumstances of toxic masculinity and the modern dating scene. By engaging with their audience members, Chanel beckons unshy guests to reveal deep truths about their past relationships and the actions that resulted in their breakups. In an instant, the crowd roars with excitement, sharing personal stories that depict offensive behavior, infidelity, selfishness, and possibly, inexcusable urination…With each story, an improvised song emerges, as Chanel regales the audience by singing the scenario aloud, and casts it off into the ether with the lines, “you’re blocked, fuck you!” It is musical relationship anarchy at its finest.
Chanel strikes a pose as they entertain the audience with their kazoo!
As the show goes on, the career-focused clown endures moments of heartbreak, true love’s kiss, a toxic sociopathic manager, and a failing musical journey that spirals them straight to rock bottom, and a heaping mess of Tillamook Brownie Batter ice cream. However, our star is reborn, and from therapy to psychiatry, Chanel navigates the arduous pathways toward improving their mental health. Finally, as the sun sets on the circus, we must examine our reflections in the mirror and confront our greatest challenge yet, self-love.
Chanel & the Circus is more than a comedic musical cracking down on toxic relationships and slamming the block caller feature on our cellular devices; it is a community gathering, it is speaking our profound truths, a support group, and most of all, it is a reminder that we must love ourselves.
Adieu.