Royal Oak doesn't have a better entertainment deal than drag queen bingo at Five15. Completely unscripted, laden with innuendo and as much fun as you want it to be, this is a wild night out that pushes at family fun. With a lovely drag queen in the house, and facing the street from her checkered dais, fun is guaranteed.
An hour and a half to two hours of bingo begins in the best bingo hall of all: a giftshop/bookstore friendly to the LGBT community, filled with some of the sauciest memorabilia about. On occasion I've seen a coffeetable book on the history of beauty queens, an amazing German four-volume set on the maturation of lad mags like Playboy, to die for wineholders shaped like immaculate shoes that would make a supermodel stare, and witty magnets, bumperstickers, and postcards. "I won't believe corporations are people until Texas executes one" sold out while we were there, mwahahaha.
Now, add atop that a solid coffee bar that whips up tea lattes, espresso drinks, foamy frothy goodness, black coffee, Italian sodas, and pastry nibbles, and the night is set for some fun. The beau and I usually share a hot drink of some kind because you need the refreshment to quench your throat and aching sides after laughing so hard.
The staff know their clientele and play up the flamboyant, raunchy, playful atmosphere to the hilt. Birthdays, bachelorettes, anniversaries, divorce celebrations and the like really make the fun factor hit magnitude 10, and the drag queens never hesitate to single out handsome men, trashy brides, or birthday boys and girls for their rightful due. It's all in good fun: the rules of improv comedy do apply here. It's a safe environment for teasing, and they have a sixth sense for knowing who to pick out of a crowd for friendly, naughty ribbing. Usually it's an older gentleman who looks straight laced and ends up grinning, laughing while his wife/sister/daughter and the rest of the table cackle with glee. Inhibitions are checked at the door.
Four rounds of bingo offer you the opportunity to net your fifteen minutes of fortune, fame, and being heckled as "you dirty b|tch!" by winning a line or two on your bingo card. T-shirts and coffee cups are handed out, emblazoned with statements like "The Real Housewives of Wayne County" and many too naughty to be published here without smacking into a filter. It's great fun, especially when the queens go out of their way to try and pair winners up with something licentious and appropriate. I haven't won yet, though I was one off for the free-for-all last round which usually involves a cash prize, a gift certificate to the store, and/or a selection of donated prizes. My first visit, a well-known tattoo artist was offering up a tattoo.
Five15 is also about social causes and positive activism, and they do 50-50 raffle fundraisers for great charities ranging from literacy in Oakland County to helping homeless teens in Detroit, especially at-risk LGBT teens. Even if you don't particularly have a political or social stance, you can throw in the price of a latte to help those less fortunate than you and the average night can net $250-300 per show, of which there are two.
I've had the pleasure of seeing September Murphy and Joan Rivers in action. Joan is the spitting image of the real Joan, every bit as saucy, snarky, and witty, and probably just as hot without the extra plastic surgery involved. If they could get Eddie Izzard or RuPaul, my life would be complete. Guest hosts from around the Midwest can generate a lot of interest, so *always* reserve your seat ahead of time as early as possible.
As noted by Nikki, there's only one unisex bathroom. Lineups get very excessive during intermission between rounds 2 and 3. If Pronto's open you might be able to duck in to use their facilities, or run down to Baskin-Robbins, but don't count on it. They are talking about expanding the facilities due to the immense interest and success generated by Drag Queen Bingo. Right on them! read more