Owner Jim Flint claims the allure is in the illusion at the Baton Show Lounge. Thrilling Chicago audiences with its world-famous, Vegas-style revue of female impersonators since 1969, the lounge hosts the longest running show of its kind in the country. What could be more Midwestern than men dressing as beautiful women performing choreographed song and dance numbers?

Make sure you nosh before you arrive because you won't find any food here. You are, however, asked to drink, with a two-drink minimum in place; just don't count on seeing your drink anytime soon as the services tends to be slow and quarters are cramped.

The ladies are all you'll have your eye on anyway. Though this is not exactly a family show, raunch doesn't rule here. More innuendo than overt, the ladies flirt and woo and win the crowd over while lip-syncing and dancing to new faves and old classics. The cast rotates but the favorites are quite apparent among the crowds. After the show, the ladies oblige the audience by posing for pictures; if you're lucky, you might go home with a Kodak of you and Whitney Houston or Janet Jackson.

For those coming with a party in tow, make a reservation. While show runs three times a night Wednesday through Sunday (at 8:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. for $10 or $14 depending on the night), it's a bachelorette- and tourist-magnet; they come by the boatload.

Centerstage Reviewer: Beth Dugan