Hooch-Rah for Glam Gam! : Interview with Glam Gam about Turning Tricks

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Last year, a small production company of some very talented people called Glam Gam Productions walked away with the second highest grossing show of the renowned Montreal Fringe Festival, The Little Beau Peep Show. This year, they are back, and they’ve pulled out all the stops with a show called Turning Tricks.

“This years show is more plot driven, instead of the plot just being a reason for us to get naked,” laughs the show co-director Michael McCarthy. McCarthy is one of Glam Gam Productions founding members, along with Julie Paquet and Sarah Murphy. Glam Gam came into being in 2009 with a show called Tits The Season… To Be Naughty. The production company calls itself a collective base of performers otherwise known as “The Glamily”.

Working as a collective is not always as glamorous as it sounds. McCarthy explains that coming up with ideas for a show can be difficult, “We almost didn’t do a show this year.” But working as a “glamily” seems to have payed off. “20 people’s imaginations coming together can produce some very unique ideas,” says McCarthy. “We had to trim down many of the ideas to make a better show.” In fact this is Glam Gam’s shortest show yet. “We knew from the beginning we wanted to push for a bigger and better show this year,” continues McCarthy.

Enter stage left, second director, a lovely young woman named Hannah Morrow. Morrow brought with her a background in theater and an enthusiasm that is contagious. “In this show we are doing theater exercises, we are focusing on character building and a different stage set up,” said Morrow. Not to worry, they still sing, dance and get naked!!

Adding Morrow to the Glam Gam ‘Gamily’ seems to have done the trick. Morrow and McCarthy describe this year’s show as a “Big, glittery, sexy, intelligent spectacle, that also tries to leave the audience with some serious questions about society.” As if you needed another reason to see this year’s show, it will also act as a fundraiser for Montreal sex workers rights group Stella.

On the downside Glam Gam founder says this will be the last “big show” for a bit. “We are not going away, we are just going to go back to more of a variety show format. We are going to go in a bit of a different direction”.

I was fortunate enough to sit through half a dress rehearsal of this show. If you have no sense of humor, this show is not for you, stay home, turn on Netflix and watch 24. However, if you want to see a “get down”-“side splitting”-“something to think about”-“holy shit”-“good time” show, grab your fucking hat and head down to the Cleopatra. This one is going to be worth it, and it’s for a good cause to boot. Good Luck from Montreal Rampage guys and dolls, break a leg!

Turning Tricks plays at Cafe Cleopatra (1230 St-Laurent) on June 7 (10 p.m.), June 9 (8 p.m.), June 10 (8 p.m.), June 11 (8 p.m.), June 13 (8 p.m. and 12 a.m.), June 14 (10 p.m.), June 17 (8 p.m.), June 19 (9 p.m.), and June 21 (10 p.m.). Each show features cameos from different local performers every show. The Troupe has put it all out there for this show, McCarthy actually looks ready to burst with pride when he says “This is going to be our Crowning Glory!” $10