Interview: Paul Prater And Paul Noffsinger at Birdie's Cabaret Theater & Lounge

I have sad news and happy news to share. If you haven’t heard, The Joint in North Little Rock shut its doors after 13 years of business. However, everyone can rejoice because the space has now been christened Birdie’s Cabaret Theater & Lounge. Owners Paul Prater and Paul Noffsinger opened the doors three months ago and have been filling the venue with various types of entertainment. For my first visit, my son and I decided to witness a live Dungeons and Dragons game played by local comedians. A mixed group of adventurers gathered and vocally joined in to help our heroes along in their quest. Fun was had by all! 

For those not familiar with this fantasy game, Dungeons & Dragons (often shortened to D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game where players create characters and go on adventures in a fantasy world. One player, called the Dungeon Master (DM), serves as the storyteller and referee, describing the setting, controlling non-player characters, and guiding the unfolding plot. The other players take on the roles of adventurers such as wizards, rogues, fighters, or clerics who work together to solve problems, battle monsters, and explore magical realms. Dice rolls and rules help determine the outcomes of their choices, but imagination and storytelling drive the game, making each session unique. 

This particular session had four players and a host. Comedian Seth Dees was our Dungeon Master for the evening. He set the scene and introduced the four characters: Elaendor Umbra the Elven Wizard played by Dawnie, Orik Brighthammer the Dwarven Artificer played by Bair, Lucien Rook the Elven Rogue played by Eugene Belcourt, and Grothar Bonebreaker the Orc Barbarian played by Paul Prater, who literally painted himself green for this event.  Our heroes joined up at a festival and had to find out who was stealing the laughter. They also had to go find treasure to win some sort of prize. They encountered many characters that Dees brought to life, including the whole Scooby Doo gang. The first round ended victorious, or so they thought....... Join the group October 17 for another round of D&Dees! 

For people like my son, they enjoyed the storyline and gaming of this event. I happened to enjoy the different voices and comedy that stemmed from the players. There was something for everyone, which is exactly what the owners had in mind for their venue, and I am excited to see what all occupies this space.  

After the show, I was able to have a chat with the two Pauls! 

BWW: How did this whole venture come about?

Paul Prater: We’re both magicians. We first met about 13 years ago at a magic convention in Las Vegas and hit it off right away. We became close friends and always had this dream of opening a place where all kinds of art could live together — not just magic, not just music, but comedy, theater, lectures, and more. We wanted a space that really supported the arts, especially the kinds that don’t always have a traditional home. 

BWW: What’s your vision for the space?

Paul Noffsinger: We want it to be a true cabaret club. That means a mix of everything — like what you saw tonight.  

Prater: We have an original musical coming up that’s based on Fear of the Dark.  

Noffsinger: There’s also a lecture by a world-leading expert on Ouija boards and spiritualism.  

Prater: We have a historian will be here sharing the ghost stories of Argenta — and we’ve even named cocktails after those stories. We’re hosting seances, ghost tours, even a vampire/zombie prom.  

Noffsinger: And now that we have our movie license, we can show films as well. Our motto is: “If you want to see it on stage, you’ll see it at Birdie’s.” 

BWW: Will magic play a big role in your programming? 

Noffsinger: Absolutely. I have a show on September 13. 

Prater: In October, we’ll be doing a bizarre magic show together, and I’ll be doing seances here as well. We bring in magicians from across the U.S. every month — September’s featured magician is Joe Daniels from North Carolina. Magic is at our roots, and it’s always going to be part of the heartbeat here. 

BWW: How do you structure your events each month?

Noffsinger: We dedicate one weekend to comedy, one to music, one to magic, and one to burlesque. That rotation keeps things fresh and helps us reach different audiences. 

BWW: What has audience feedback been like so far?

Prater: We’re grateful to have all five-star reviews on Google so far. One of our favorite comments was: “Finally, a place where we can be weirdos.” That sums up what we’re going for — a spot where people feel comfortable no matter who they are.  

Noffsinger: Another surprising thing is how many first-time visitors we get each night — more than half the crowd, usually.  

Prater: So we are bringing in a diverse audience. We have jazz nights, trivia nights, metal nights, so we know we have a diverse crowd who we know will not come out to everything, but that’s fine, we want a thing that everyone would want to come out to. No matter what they like, there is something here for that crowd.  

BWW: What kind of atmosphere are you trying to create?

Prater: We call it “creepy classy.” Good food, good drinks, and a comfortable space where people can just hang out with or without a show. 

BWW: Looking ahead, what do you see for the future of the club? 

Prater: Argenta itself is growing fast. With a convention center under construction and two new hotels on the way, we see opportunities to attract more tourists alongside our local audience. We’ve already had people from out of state drop in, like a guy from Ireland and a flight attendant who promised to stop by every time he’s in town. That’s exactly the feeling we want to create: a home away from home. 

BWW: What do you want people to know about the acts you bring in?

Noffsinger: That they’re world-class, even if the names aren’t familiar. Because we’re performers ourselves, we’re very particular about who we book. Every act, whether music, comedy, burlesque, or magic, is vetted, and many are people we’ve worked with personally. Performers love it here because the club is owned by other performers. It makes a difference. 

BWW: How can the community get involved?

Noffsinger: We actually encourage people to pitch us ideas. There’s a submissions page on our website where folks can send in concepts, and some of our shows have already grown out of those. We’re also planning a mural contest this fall — the theme is Haunting Argenta. Our staff will choose the top five designs from local artists, and then our social media followers will pick the winner. 

BWW: Final thoughts? 

Prater: We’re just thrilled to see people responding so positively. Our biggest problem right now is having more ideas than dates on the calendar! But that’s a good problem to have. We’ve got a strong team and a supportive community, and we’re excited to keep building something unique here in Argenta. 

To find out what shows and ideas are coming up, check out their socials or head to their website at https://www.birdiescabaret.com.