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Vaudeville neuve

Variety is the spice of this year’s WAWA show

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Music, magic, arts, crafts, comedy, clowning, dancing, writing and reciting are in the cards for this city’s second WAWA show, a pre-New Year’s, neo-vaudeville masquerade party on Friday, Dec. 30. The artists involved don’t all fall under the retro banner, but partygoers who dress jazz-age (anything from a top hat and tails to flapper dresses and fishnets), will be rewarded with a $5 discount at the door.

Conceived by local singer and musician Amanda Mabro, WAWA (We Are Women Artists) first hit the stage two years ago to showcase work by some of Montreal’s more creative ladies.

“The initial goal for the show, aside from celebrating local artists,” says Mabro, “was to be light and entertaining while at the same time giving people the chance to support the community, and help the artists build careers.”

Proceeds from the first WAWA Show were donated to Gilda’s Club, a support group for people living with cancer (named after the late Gilda Radner, whose Saturday Night Live character Baba Wawa inspired the Show’s name). Unfortunately, the Montreal branch of the organization no longer exists, and as Mabro was somewhat disappointed with the donation made in 2003 ($400), she decided to focus on this event as a festive party rather than a charity fundraiser.

Among the singer-songwriters at this year’s WAWA are Mabro and her Cabaret Band (jumpin’ jazz/blues), Cheryl Sim (electro/jazz/soul), Maia Davies (indie pop/folk/jazz), Abigail Lapell (folk/pop/punk) and ragtime singer-pianist Mark Youhanan.

That’s right, there are men on the bill, a couple headlining their own sets and a whole bunch backing up the ladies. Mabro and her bandmate Cozmos Quazar say that although their mandate is to put women in the spotlight, having men on board is simply a natural reflection of the creative community’s collaborative structure, and they wouldn’t want to alienate the male audience by banning their gender from the stage. In fact, Charles Bender is an actor who graduated from Cabaret Band devotee to WAWA’s master of ceremonies.

“He’s actually quite fabulous,” attests Mabro. “He was always at our shows so eventually I went to see one of his plays and I hadn’t realized that he was this awesome, experienced actor. He’s gonna be really over the top and silly and fun.”

Also among the performers are magician Tony Elias, clowns Rebecca Halls and Rachel and comediennes Sonali Karnick and DeAnne Smith.

The arts and crafts area will include Zoe Leeson’s kitschy crafts, Josianne Massy’s stained glass and Nadia Nespeca’s photography, while the writer’s table promises authors Nikki Brown, Catherine Lavoie, Stéphane Martelly and Four Minutes to Midnight magazine.

To top things off, the Blue Light Burlesque troupe will tantalize and entertain the audience with their bodies and bawdy humour, reviving classic burlesque, Quebec-style, in a sketch-comedy format.

“Everybody enjoys the T&A,” says Mabro. “It’s very colourful and entertaining and strangely pure. It’s nice to see women that aren’t necessarily of a perfect shape who are so comfortable with themselves. It’s incredibly freeing, even just watching them. And it’s funny too, which is what I like about it most. It’s just about having a good time.”

The WAWA Show takes place at la Sala Rossa
on Friday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m., $20