It felt, to me, the last few months of 2025 have been a blur, drunkenly stumbling toward the finish line, faster than I’d like, slower than I realize. I haven’t had a chance, until now, to sit down, breathe, and consider the highlights of the year. I missed the 2025 Wrapped trend, which I initially shrugged off thinking, “this year has been hot fucking garbage”, but that was just reaction, do you know? As soon as I had the opportunity to roll a fat joint, sit down, and consider what happened in the last 12 months, I mean, the good things from the last 12 months, I realized that I’ve got a lot to appreciate. Sitting comfortably in my Top Five, were I to make a list, would be attending the resurrection of one of Montreal’s premiere performance collectives, the oh-so-weird, oh-so-sexy, OG Queerlesque troupe: GlamGam.

I’ve been a GlamGam fan for years, since witnessing Greasy at Cafe Cleopatre (three times) as part of the 2018 FringeMTL festival. The chaos, the sex, the talent, undeniable. I wasn’t the only one who thought so, either, as the collective won Patron’s Pick at the Frankie Awards. While each member of the Glamily has continued to create and perform, the group itself went quiet. In October, I had the chance to speak with Michael McCarthy, Julie Paquet, and Beth Cross (you can read that here) about the extended hiatus, collaborative relationships, the difficulties of managing an artist's life in this economy, and the challenges of securing funding. Our primary focus, though, was to discuss the return of GlamGam after seven years, with Les Fantômes de Café Cléopâtre. It’s this event, this joyful homecoming, that secured a spot on my Top Five of 2025.

A better way to spend Halloween proper in 2025 couldn’t have existed. It had been a minute since I’d been to the historic Cafe Cleopatre. Situated in what was once Montreal’s red light district, across Saint Laurent from the Montreal Pool Room, the main floor of the venue is a strip club with the venue on the second floor. Waiting in line on the stairs brought back a lot of (blurry) memories. At the door a familiar face, Tara McGowan-Ross, scratched my name off the Guest List. Tara’s appearance immediately reminded me of the primary source of GlamGam’s dark magick: community. As I made my way across the room to the bar, I noticed smile after smile, a sea of familiar faces, mingling with dozens of potential new acquaintances. The atmosphere in the space was palpable, the anticipation in everyone's voice rising above the music. Cafe Cleo is massive, with a bar on either side of the room (although only one functions, for as long as I can remember). There is cabaret-style seating throughout, with numerous half-circle booths lining the back wall, opposite the stage. The sold out room had the familiar smell of stale booze and fresh popcorn.

Photo by Cuto Reed

Michael McCarthy took the stage to welcome us. The night would begin with some synergy, as the opening acts would feature performers from Bareoke, an event held at Cafe Cleo on the first and third Saturday of each month, hosted by Michael and Julie Paquet. These performers, emerging artists in their own right, Sophie, Tall, and Sebastien, sang it out and took it off. The audience welcomed them with resounding support, and plenty of noise. For a collective that places so much importance in working with a new generation of performers, there was no better way to begin the night.

While GlamGam came to be known for their full-scale productions like Peter Pansexual, and Greasy, Les Fantômes de Café Cléopâtre was a return to their roots: a carefully curated, chaotic variety show packed with talent. When I spoke to the team in October, Beth told me, “We've got a really diverse cast. So we're going to have Ballroom, there's references to classic Halloween films, like The Exorcist. There's also Biblical references that get played with a bit. We have two hosts that are going to call out to the old ghosts… We also wanted to invite new people to the stage. That was really important to us to open up the privilege that we have at Cleo’s to people that don't necessarily have that access. So we've got some new people as well that are doing some classic burlesque. We also have people that have worked on their own music tracks, which is really exciting. We have a couple of performers who are doing their debut burlesque show with us, which I'm so grateful for!” This was no exaggeration, the show was wall-to-wall performances featuring multiple disciplines, and both first-timers and seasoned stage vets.

A variety show with a large line-up can be daunting for both the producers and the audience alike. This can easily be avoided with a skilled host, and GlamGam had two in Laura Boo and Les Izmoar (as Alberta). Humble, horny, and hilarious, the pair guided us through the night, breaking up the acts with crowd work and sketch comedy. Of course, the primary focus was on the roster of talent performing that night (which changed slightly with each of their three performances). From original Glamily Phoenix Inana, Rusty Jameson (a personal favorite of the night for me, performing as a pregnant Virgin Mary), Michael, Julie, and Booze Crotch, to local legends Anaconda LaSabrosa (an unhinged performance from a crowd favorite), Tristan Ginger, Voodoo Sankofa, and Mina Minou (seriously, if you’ve never had the opportunity to see Mina perform, follow her, find her next performance, you won’t be disappointed), the all-star cast left it all on stage, and we, the audience, were so fucking thankful.

Photo by Cyber Neutral

As wild and raw as the talent was, as capable as the hosts were, Les Fantômes de Café Cléopâtre wouldn’t have, couldn’t have, happened without the technical efforts of Hassane EB. The venue is not exactly a high-tech blackbox theatre, and Hassane performed a minor miracle juggling sound, lights, and even some projection, all while wearing a ridiculous hat. This spirit of 'making it work' peaked when Michael McCarthy, clad in almost nothing, scaled a ladder mid-show to handle a technical hiccup. It was the kind of high-stakes, low-budget brilliance that defines the GlamGam trademark of controlled chaos.

There is an intersection between the arts and activism, particularly in the underground and marginalized sectors, which is something the collective recognizes, and they act with intention. Between performances the collective focused on charitable efforts, raising money for the Sudan Solidarity Collective, as well as the West Island LGBTQ Community Centre, through treat sales and a very generous raffle. This is a staple for the group, always taking an opportunity to not just entertain, but to help those in need using what resources they have.

The intersection of art and activism is a space GlamGam has occupied since its inception, recognizing that the very act of gathering in a space like Café Cléopâtre is a political statement. During Les Fantômes, this wasn't just subtext; it was a call to action. The collective’s decision to support the Sudan Solidarity Collective reflects an internationalist perspective, acknowledging that the fight for liberation and safety is global and interconnected.

Simultaneously, by raising funds for the West Island LGBTQ Community Centre, they grounded their efforts in the local, providing resources for queer youth and individuals who often lack the underground sanctuary found in the city’s core. Between the high-energy performances, the raffle and treat sales served as a reminder that the dark magick of community isn't just about who is in the room, but who we reach out to beyond it. It’s a staple for the group: they don’t just take up space; they hold it for others, ensuring that a night of entertainment also serves a tangible, humanitarian purpose.

It was a long night, but a good night, a celebration of the past, an acknowledgement of our ghosts, a gathering of community, and an affirmation: GlamGam is back.

By the time the house lights flickered on, the air in Cléo’s felt thick with a long-awaited catharsis. It was a long night, but a necessary one, a celebration of the past and a quiet acknowledgment of the ghosts we’ve carried through the years. More than a show, it was a triumphant return, a gathering of a community, and a loud, singular affirmation: GlamGam is back.