Melange’s Acrobats Turn This Scene on Its Head.

A 20-foot red silk drape dangles flirtatiously from the ceiling of the Sunset Room. A sliver of a girl in a sheer leotard takes to the fabric and proceeds to climb it, using only hands and bare feet. From there she manipulates the cloth into an acrobatic swing from which she dangles in a series of lithe silhouettes.

Moments later, two guys in white mambo shirts and black vinyl pants launch into a schmaltzy “Night at the Roxbury�-style comedy bit. Their rubber-faced expressions, overenthusiastic dancing and lustful gestures shatter the tranquil mood. They pluck an embarrassed female “volunteer� from the crowd to whiz juggling pins over her head, and offer her a playful pelvic-thrust demonstration.

Each Wednesday, a seven-person troupe called Melange transforms this posh Hollywood nightclub from A-list bar scene into an avant-garde cabaret. “Melange,� fittingly, means mixture. The members range from former circus performers to national sports champions, and they perform acts from the dramatically beautiful to the shamelessly ridiculous. Gymnastic stunts and interpretive dance draw gasps one minute; over-the-top clowns in oversized blue alien suits have patrons coughing up their drinks the next.

Aaron Easterbrooks, a former clown for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, brought the ingredients for Melange together, along with fellow circus alumnus James Maltman. They found acrobats of all stripes and assembled a sort of mini-circus.

Any worry that L.A. was too staid for such unlikely entertainments faded when they landed the weekly spot at the popular Sunset Room, which the club has dubbed “Sunset Rouge� (an oblique reference to the club in the film “Moulin Rouge�). Sunset Room owner Brad Johnson said it’s given his 2-year-old restaurant a distinctive Wednesday night. “A lot of people tell me it’s unlike anything they’ve ever been to,� he said. “Seeing that kind of talent up close and in an environment like this, people are just blown away.� Or, as Easterbrooks says, “They really get to see us sweat!�

Sarah Steben and John Hay, who both spent much of the last decade with Cirque du Soleil, provide one of the most spectacular routines, a trapeze number of astonishing body twists. Their flying contortions would be a dramatic addition to any steak and martini, but those at dinner tables near the stage are about 10 feet from the swinging aerialists.

“It’s such an intimate show,� Hay says. It’s a small portrait painting compared to the surreal landscape of Cirque du Soleil. But there’s something satisfying in that; the individual details stand out. “We often hear that people can see the connection between us,� says Hay, who is romantically involved with Steben. “In a big theater you miss out on that, all you see is an image.�

The troupe’s members--who provide their own props, lighting and music--say their biggest challenge now is refining technical aspects. They hope to add lighting effects, an art director and location scouter. They’re also on the lookout for others who have talents with no obvious outlet. “We know there are a lot of performers who feel the same way we did and don’t know where to go,� Hay says.

Their three-hour rehearsals each week--which they don’t necessarily need after years of honing their skills--are more an opportunity to see how their diverse bits fit together.

“We just get nuts, having fun and laughing,� Steben says. “We thought we would get to the point where we would disagree artistically because we all have different tastes, but we found that’s what makes it fun.�

Success is a beneficial byproduct. Melange has added a second residency on Thursday nights at Mum’s restaurant in Long Beach starting in April, and hopes for others.

As Steben says, “All we need is 20 feet up.�

Melange, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. at the Sunset Room, 1430 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 463-0004. $15, cover; $10 with dinner. Starting April 11, also Thursdays at Mums, 144 Pine Ave., Long Beach, (562) 437-7700, $60 a person includes dinner.