The Pansy Cabaret - A Revolutionary Act of Queer Joy By Augustus Williams

Canadian drag superstar Lilith Fair takes the stage in The Pansy Cabaret again this year - but to anyone who’s seen it before, don’t think it’s the same show. Lilith is an incredible performer; full to the brim with stage presence and armed with an incredible voice, she knows how to command a theatre. Accompanied by the incredible Daniel Belland on keys and occasionally on mic, the two have created a fabulous cabaret alongside writer and director Darrin Hagen. The show explores the rich history of the LGBTQ community’s relationship with the entertainment industry during the prohibition era, roughly a century ago. Broadway and vaudeville were once deeply populated with queer performers, but that time came to an abrupt end with the start of the second world war and the rise of fascism. However, as Lilith says during the performance, this piece which once felt like a celebration of the lives of those who paved the way to the vibrant world we live in, now feels instead like a cruel reflection of just how much our present is mirroring that time, almost one hundred years ago. Lilith Fair’s show-stopping performance is beautiful, sexual, powerful, and heartbreaking. If you are in Edmonton and you are part of the queer community, or even more if you’re a straight ally, I urge you to see this show and to remember - the performance Lilith gives, and any other show involving LGBTQ artists, is not just a performance; it's an act of revolution.