Sun May 9

It's Mothers Day and what better thing to treat mom to that the monthly Bent Wit Cabaret show at Club Oberon, this one called "Grotesque." C'mon, mom will love it. (Or maybe after the MD festivities, you and your twisted pals can go.) Co-producer Jill Gibson calls what they do a "high end low brow variety show with a different theme each month and a decidedly boundary-pushing approach to entertaining.It is an intelligent, acerbic, creative show."

More description, please: "This is a wailing, whining, drooling show. Our special guests include the warped and sexy Black Cat Burlesque, the ever-hilarious The Steamy Bohemians, a piece by one of our favorite new theatre companies New Exhibition Room, dance by the incredible Mesma S. Belsare, and the truly outstanding Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, the creature-feature-meaning-of-Grotesque-puppet-company BIG NAZO, as well as original video by Rich Burns, Julia Van Daam, and All The Kings Men. These guests will join Bent Wit’s brilliant core performers Lainey SchoolTree, Femme Brulee, and Sugar Dish (a JSInk pal and creator of "Slutcracker") back with a new musical number and ever-present big balls as well as the genius Bent Wit House Band, Elephant Tango Ensemble (featuring members of Goli and HUMANWINE). Your hosts, as always, are Mary Dolan - the so-called 82-year-old cabaret artist who is about 50 years short of that, but who's counting - JSInk) and UnAmerika's Sweetheart Karin Webb (coproducer- JSInk) both grotesque in their own special ways."

Cabaret, burlesque, it's everywhere. Evelyn Evelyn the "conjoined twins" played by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley recently played Oberon and are back at House of Blues June 19. Which is to say Ms. Palmer, former Dresden Dolls singer-pianist, has sparked a lot of interest in this post-punk theatrical extravagance. Not to say she's soley responsible, but she's the best-known name in pushing this entertainment out there into mass culture. There is, maybe a downside to all of it, and Gibson says, "I realize cabaret and variety are 'hip' right now, and the genre is drowning itself very quickly. Karin and I have been producing cabaret shows for over 10 years, and we specifically chose this genre as the best way to have a true conversation amongst artists and audience. We are committed to booking acts that have many different points of view, and to crafting a gorgeous, highly produced show that feels like a night of theatre instead of a slap-dash lineup of random."

"We bring something fresh to the Boston scene, and to challenge and cajole the residents of this city to look at the underground theatre in this town and take notice. It is my absolute belief that this is the best show in town, and beyond that, that it is engaging and intelligent and biting."

Show starts at 8. Tickets: $20 advance/$25 day of.

2 Arrow St., Cambridge, 617-497-8004 www.cluboberon.org