The sexiness and sass of Varietease combined with the high energy, easy-to-dance-to rockabilly stylings of Sasquatch Prom Date.
Throw in a promises-to-be-scary haunted house, bat girls hanging from the ceiling, prizes for best costume, not to mention two bars, and Halloween at the Yukon Convention Centre looks to be the place to be on Saturday, October 30 if you’re 19 years of age or older.
Without wanting to give away too many secrets, show co-producer Fiona Solon says the evening will be full of the usual burlesque and sass that has become customary with past Varietease shows with a heavy Halloween emphasis thrown in.
“The band will be playing until 1:30 a.m.,” stresses Solon, in an effort to quash the rumour bug circling that the live band will be ending early. “Sasquatch (Prom Date) is playing four sets and will be on the stage until 1:30 a.m.”
The one night only event marks the last time Yukoners will get to see Sasquatch front man Ryan McNally play in the territory for awhile. In November he hits the road for a solo tour across parts of Canada and the U.S.
The night will feature a cast of about 50, singing, dancing and acting.
To better describe what the night will look like, Solon says try to imagine a collaborated rock video with the likes of Alice Cooper, The Cramps and The Misfits, along with Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dolls.
“People can expect the sexiness of past Varietease shows without the crassness. There will be little talking by the cast,” explains Solon, who now calls Vancouver home and returned to Whitehorse just to head up this event. “It is a dance party, a Halloween dance party, not a sit-down theatre show.”
Solon says the battle component of the night, as depicted in the show’s title and the Ian Stewart-designed posters plastered around town, refers to the various Varietease performers vying for stage space with the band.
“Everyone in the show is going to be on the same stage battling for stage time in amongst the band,” describes Solon. “Essentially the whole premise for the evening is that we want everyone to have an awesome time.”
If the burlesque and rock-a-billy aren’t enough, attendees will also have a chance to get their scare on as a large haunted house is also being built within the Convention Centre.
“There are going to be some genuine scares,” ensures haunted house co-designer Anthony Trombetta. “Because it’s a 19-plus event we can go all out with the scares and really cater it to adults.”
Trombetta, a regular staple in past Varietease shows, is also no rookie when it comes to designing haunted houses.
Three years ago Trombetta and fiancée Erica Bigland designed a haunted house at the Guild Hall that people are still talking about.
“We really scared a lot of people with that one and this one is going to be even scarier,” says Trombetta. “It’s going to be a good old-fashioned haunted house.”
Solon says previous Varietease shows featured most of the audience dressing up themselves, and holding this event to celebrate Halloween will ensure not just most, but everyone, is in costume.
“I really like the idea of not knowing who’s in the cast and who’s in the crowd.”
Varietease tickets are now on sale at Triple J’s Music.
Capacity at the centre is 550 and by press time more than half the tickets had already sold. If past Varietease and Sasquatch Prom Date shows are any indication you’d best get yours fast.
