I'd like to add a couple of points. First, in Chicago and New York for sure, and probably other places too, this "theater-night" stuff would never work, because it is illegal to smoke ANYTHING indoors (except in private residences). I work in theater in Chicago, and the Chicago ban not only prohibits smoking cigarettes in theaters, it prohibits smoking even FAKE cigarettes in theaters. It is illegal to set things in your mouth on fire in public buildings, period. Now, the police have said that they will not enforce this law unless they receive a complaint about a specific theater, but that is how it stands on the books.

Second, there originally WAS a provision in the Chicago ordinance for bars (and theaters) to create a filtration system that would allow them to continue smoking inside. This was scrapped when a) the City Council couldn't come up with a realistic standard to hold the air to (at first the standard was "as clean as the air outside," but that opened up holding a bar next to a factory to a different standard than a bar next to a park), and b) it was determined that the technology for filtering that much air to even a reasonably exacting standard was so expensive that it was pointless to include.

I would think they could have been more forward thinking and include the filtration provision against the chance that the technology will be developed in the future (the same goes for fake cigarettes in the theater - just because good ones don't currently exist doesn't mean they won't ever exist). But I'm not a legislator, and don't know all the thinking that goes into such things. Also, the state of Illinois now has a separate law that overrules the city one on at least some aspects. Phew!

If you're looking for old school Berlin cabaret, check out Der Kleine Nachtrevue. As their website advertises, the show features "Acrobatics, dance, song, comedy and naked ballet." How can you go wrong?

Reminds me of the Holle Bolle Gijs trashcans at the Efteling theme park in Holland. These talking character trashcans have kids running up to you and begging to throw your trash away. It's the cleanest theme park in the world!