The third-annual holiday fundraiser for the Sunshine Coast Affordable Housing Society will be an adults-only extravaganza, but marquee performers from the Sunshine Coast’s preeminent drag troupe say that family values run deep in their ensemble.
“The House of Grease, that’s my crew,” said Lil Grease Trap, a drag demon who helped create the Pine ‘n’ Sandy drag troupe in 2021. “In terms of drag, Poisyn Mercury and I are the matriarch and patriarch of the House of Grease. And a new performer — who will be making a grand appearance — will be one of our children gracing everyone’s presence on the stage.”
During the Glitter Gala on Nov. 30, affordable housing advocates will urge the audience at the Raven’s Cry Theatre to donate in excess of $50,000 for affordable housing initiatives such as the newly opened Shaw Place in Gibsons. ($33,500 has been collected in the lead-up to the event.)
“This will be a show you don’t want to miss, an extravaganza that will put a smile on your face for days,” said organizer Wendy Hollis of the Sunshine Coast Affordable Housing Society.
For Lil Grease Trap and a dozen other Pine ‘N’ Sandy artists, the song-and-dance revue also provides an opportunity to celebrate the ensemble’s burgeoning list of achievements.
“It’s come so far from just a little tiny show when no one really knew what we’re getting into,” Lil Grease Trap observed. “Three years later it’s something that’s such a huge part of all of our lives and we’re like a family now too.”
The interdependency is essential, as performers economize by sharing wigs, costumes and props. A papier-mâché grand piano has been used in at least a dozen of the group’s shows.
The Glitter Gala represents a thematic shift: unlike last year’s Christmas-themed epic (that spotlighted Manly Nipkiss as a svelte Santa and Bindiya House as a green-fleshed Grinch), the group’s newest format lets each artist free their creativity.
“Basically what you can expect is that people are going to be really flexing their brand,” said Pine ‘N’ Sandy spokesperson Shayne Forster, who performs as Shaylo. “Each drag artist has their own vibe, their own kind of showcase, their own focus. And you’re going to see that in the performances.”
For divas like Candi Strutts — who last year delivered a showstopping duo with Shaylo — developing the strength of the 2SLGBTQAI+ community is intrinsically energizing. “The Glitter Gala for me is building community with the power of queer joy,” Strutts said. “It is an opportunity for queers to use our art of drag to entertain and contribute.”
Preparations for the show took months, although three-dimensional set designs of 2023 have largely been supplanted by digital projections. Scripts and dance routines are intricately choreographed; outrageous camp mingles with high couture. Davis Gay plans a four-tune mashup: “Lip-syncing to iconic French songs, serving up a little French New Wave cinema realness, with a cheeky nod to Emily in Paris,” they explained.
Manly Nipkiss will debut two original songs. “This event is special for me because it will be an event that brings the community together in many ways,” Nipkiss said, “from supporting the queer community, queer and trans artists — to supporting the arts in general — all while helping to get more accessibility to affordable housing on the Coast.”
“We’ve been unapologetically queer, loud and proud,” added Davis Gay, citing Pine ‘N’ Sandy’s track record of volunteering for library story times, queer youth drop-ins, and the Sunshine Coast Pride Festival. The group has invited performers from the Lower Mainland; its own members are occasionally appearing at venues in Vancouver and beyond.
Multimedia elements for the gala will be orchestrated by EJ E-List. “As the sound and visual person, I’m excited to bring the show to life,” they said. “It’ll be a night where glitter, glam and fierce performances collide.”
Collaboration with the affordable housing society has been a cinch, Shayne Forster said. “It’s a cause where everybody’s affected by it, and everybody understands it,” he explained. “Even if they themselves are secure, there’s somebody in their life who isn’t.”
Tickets (still available at press time) for the Glitter Gala on Nov. 30 are available for purchase online via affordablesc.org/events.
