Not Your Everyday Variety Show

Candyass Cabaret Kicks Off at Cleo’s

Fringe ArtsMegan Dolski — Published September 13, 2011

Candyass Cabaret, making its debut this Friday at Café Cleopatra, is bringing some burlesque-esque old-school vaudeville style to Montreal.

“It’s about bringing back entertainment to the real entertainment district of the area,” said Velma Candyass, the show’s producer and acclaimed Montreal burlesque performer. She says the show will feature a wide range of performance and spoken word artists, all while bringing back the “old vaudeville spirit.”

Candyass Cabaret will become the newest monthly event at Cleo’s, set to take place on the third Friday of every month.

Candyass said the event will serve as an excellent opportunity for diverse performers to practice their art on a stage in front of an open-minded and supportive audience.

“It brings a great introduction to what the burlesque world is,” she said. “Our stuff is perhaps less traditional in style, but there is always at least a couple of traditional elements that can be picked up in what I do and certainly in the other performances.”

The event will be hosted by the “hostess with the mostest,” Reena the Drag Queen, Café Cleopatra’s house Drag Queen. You can also expect Candyass herself to pop on stage from time to time, either to grab the mic and MC for a bit—or maybe even to slip in the occasional performance when she’s not too busy working backstage.

Friday’s bill is made up a slew of diverse performers including Nat King Pole, Tommy Toxic, the Divine Damiana Dolce, Diane the Sublime and Mlle A.

Some of the artists performing this month will be returning on a regular, or at least semi-regular basis to the show—one of them being Damiana Dolce.

Dolce is a self-described burlesque singer. She says her character on stage is dark and vixeny, but almost always manages to incorporate some sort of comedy into her performances—and the occasional striptease.

Dolce said she is excited for the opportunity to participate in Candyass Cabaret because it offers a chance to do something different, and to work alongside Velma Candyass herself.

“Every producer has their own formula of how they do their show, and I’ve never done anything produced by Velma before,” she said. “I’m pretty excited because she is very creative and energetic, and I’m excited to see what her way is.”

Candyass says the show is really meant for anyone and will certainly be interactive. She said everyone is welcome to come meet the performers after the show and “dance their asses off” on stage to the music of Stripclub DJ Bruno le Boom Boom.

“You don’t have to be a super-edgy hipster to come and see this show,” she said. “If you want to support local artists and see a live variety show at an affordable price, then this is the place to come to.”

She added that the show is especially important considering the current politics attempting to redefine the art within the Quartier des Spectacles.

“We are basically low-brow artists who are performing at Café Cleopatra saying, ‘This is the kind of art we want to see in the ‘Quartier des Spectacles,’” she said.

“Café Cleopatra is a venue that has just as much right to have its place in the Quartier des Spectacle district, and the type of performances that go on have just as much a valid place.”

This article originally appeared in Volume 32, Issue 03, published September 13, 2011.