Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to grab your champagne glasses and throw some confetti because Can Can Culinary Cabaret is celebrating its 18th anniversary! And what better way to mark this special occasion than to showcase the talent of our incredible photographer, Nate Waters? Nate has been capturing the magic and glamour of Can Can for years, capturing our wildest moments and turning them into memories that will last a lifetime, and we feel so fortunate to have him as part of our team. To commemorate our 18th birthday, Nate has put together a collection of his top 18 photos that perfectly capture the energy and spirit of our beloved Cabaret. So, let's raise a glass to Can Can and enjoy some of Nate's amazing work!

Nate Watters: So, this first photo is clearly not just a photo, but it’s the same photo of Jonny, in the same moment that happens at every single show.

It’s the part where he yells “Welcome to Can Can” at the beginning of the show, screaming at the top of his lungs with his arm out and a mic on his face. He does it with the same amount of energy every show for the past five years, at least I've seen him. It's incredible to watch, and it's one of my favorite moments of every show because it gets me every time. His charisma really comes through in these moments. It’s one of the only things that happen show after show at Can Can. Every show is different, but you can always bank on this moment.

Nate Watters: This next one, I just really love the colors. It's Richard just in the zone. I mean, there's just no other way to put it. He's looking super fierce with the corset and the hat. The lighting is really perfect in this one. I feel like so many of my photos that I really, really like, I have to give the credit to the performers and the people lighting it.

I don't do any of that stuff. They do all the hard parts.

Nate Watters: This next one is Jonny at the end of Hitchcock Hotel back in September. I like this photo because of the way he’s looking up at one of his creations. He had already been spinning on it, as this was in the middle of his final dialogue. The way he's looking up at the apparatus, the light shining down on him; it's that connection to the thing that he's created.

I like it for technical reasons, too. I had to make a last-minute decision at this moment to slow the shutter speed way down and get the blur, which is definitely not something I'm usually trying to do when shooting Can Can photos. I was trying to get a little bit more creative with it than just the usual stuff. I love that it's him alone on stage.

Nate Watters: This one really makes me smile. This photo is from 2019, which is the old space. The show was El Dorado, and Jordan and Jonny have this really incredible chemistry together on stage. Being able to pull off something like this in a space that had maybe a 9-foot ceiling and a very narrow catwalk seemed impossible, but here they are shooting off confetti and riding a wooden horse! Their energy just fills up the room in the very best way.

There are some shows, like The Hitchcock Hotel, where Jonny has me crying at the end. This one I was dying of laughter behind the camera. El Dorado was so well written. I love seeing the audience's reaction here. They always balanced the space perfectly; it was never cramped, and it always felt so cozy.

Nate Watters: I love the angles of their bodies in this one; it’s so dynamic. I love how Shadou has one leg coming up one way, and her hair is hanging down with the light hitting it beautifully. I put this photo in black and white because of the contrast with the background. I like the focus it puts on their bodies and all the shapes they create, while practically being on top of the audience.

Nate Watters: I love the simplicity of this shot of Jasmine. The way the light beams down on her, I think it evokes the feeling you get when you watch her on stage.

She just has such a commanding, incredible stage presence. And her voice is amazing, to say the least. It’'s just her and the mic and the light on her, and that’s all you need.

Nate Watters: I’m always blown away by these pieces that Jonny builds for the show. This was January 2020, and again they have this way of making the stage, and their presence, feel huge. This photo looks like we’re in this massive theater, when, in fact, it’s our intimate Can Can stage. I also love the lighting on their bodies versus the background. It’s just amazing the way Jonny and Shadou fit their bodies into these spaces, and the proportions are so on point.

Nate Watters: I thought this interaction between Sasha and Shadou in House of Hearts was fun. There are always moments like this happening in passing that aren’t exactly the focal point of a given scene, but I think it goes to show that there’s always something going on literally wherever you look during a show. It can be overwhelming in a really fun way!

Nate Watters: I love that everyone in this photo is having a great time. Tori is such an expressive person, and that really comes through here. There’s so much going on - she’s running under Richard’s legs and I think maybe twerking on the catwalk while Jasmine is just going wild in the background. And you know everyone else is just out of the frame doing the same thing on the other side of the venue. It’s just another one of those super fun moments where so much is going on at once that it’s hard to know where to look because you don’t want to miss out on the action.

Nate Watters: I just love Shadou's position here. To this day, I have a really hard time knowing if I've nailed a dancer's position in a move. I always have to have Shadou go through my photos and tell me which ones have captured the positioning.

This one is perfect. The fact that her foot is behind her and above her head, the arch of her back all while she's hanging off the moon–it’s another one of those moments where what these guys can do, especially in terms of flexibility, blows my mind every time.

I really love it. That combined with the stage set up and the lighting, it’s truly a favorite for me. I love the smoke in the background, too. The way she fits herself in there while making it look effortless and graceful and beautiful… how she does that is beyond me.

Nate Watters: I really loved the lighting in this show, which isn’t something I can take any credit for – Robbie Matos and Robert Aguilar work very hard to dial that in and I get to reap the benefits of that hard work. The warm glow from behind Renee lighting up the catwalk, and the glassware just looks so cool while she’s bathed in cool blue light with hints of purple in the background. It looks like a calm moment in the show, probably right before something big and crazy happens. That sounds about right for a Can Can show.

Nate Watters: This next one is from Wonderland, and it’s my favorite scene in the show. I love how they slow everything down. Their moves are more purposeful, intimate, and intentional. During this performance, Jasmine is singing while Jonny and Shadou dance, and everything comes together so beautifully.

Nate Watters: I love any moment where there’s a lot of movement and motion, and, obviously, I’m never short on opportunities to capture movement when I’m shooting a Can Can show. Sasha was so great in House of Hearts as the Queen’s cat, I could tell she was having such a good time in this role. I love this twirl of her dress and the sideways glance while she sings with the lights shining from behind – it’s such a fun combination of show elements all in one frame.

Nate Watters: It’s not a Can Can show without a Jonny and Shadou duet, and what’s better than having Jasmine right up there with them? I love that you can have two different things happening on stage at the same time, and it all comes together and fills the space perfectly. With Jasmine’s vocals and Jonny and Shadou’s chemistry, it’s a powerful shot. I also love all the little details like the glasses and the smoke above Jasmine.

Nate Watters: This was one of the earlier shows I shot for Can Can, it’s Jennifer Milani in June of 2018. I love how she’s arched all the way back, looking at me straight down into the lens. In the old space, I would be able to sit in this booth in the back and I could lean over the railing and put my camera dead center of the catwalk. It was so fun when a performer would run up right in front of me, and I could get shots like these. I leaned over the catwalk right at the perfect moment for this one. I love how both of her feet are on that railing, with her right heel practically hanging off. Everyone’s amazed, protectively holding their drinks. Nate laughs.

Nate Watters: This one is just so visually pleasing. I love the pop of color with the white sheet, and I like how this photo sticks out from the bunch, in a way. That’s Jordan holding Jennifer up through the curtain. I like that, at first, you can’t even tell that’s what is happening here. It’s very strong and feminine.

Nate Watters: This one is Shadou and Madison. Going back to the chemistry some of the performers had…man, these two have it. They’ve known each other a really long time, and you can really feel the connection they had on stage. They were always in sync. This photo really illustrates that the timing for them was always damn near perfect.

I like the way the audience is lit up – that always adds so much for me. You can see they’re all glued to what is happening in front of them.

Nate Watters: The catwalk is such a focal point in the Can Can. It may separate the audience physically, but it really brings everyone together because so much fun stuff happens up there. I love how Richard is arched back so far that those light rays are hitting his face. He's just bare-chested and hanging over the crowd like this, jacket hanging down - And even though he's probably hot and tired, he almost looks relaxed up there hanging off of that bar with his head back and eyes closed for a second, like a little moment to himself up there. I don't know if he'd agree with that, but he sure makes it look effortless.

As we celebrate Can Can's 18th anniversary, we are so grateful for Nate’s ability to capture the perfect moment in a single shot. He has an exceptional talent for bundling up the excitement and energy of the performances, the stunning costumes, and the dynamic choreography that makes Can Can shows so unique. As we look forward to the next 18 years of Can Can's journey, we are excited to continue sharing the unforgettable moments of our shows through Nate's incredible work.

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