Saving the Safest Stage
Photo by Andrea Hausmann
For several years now, Frenchy Jones, the owner of the The Wiggle Room, has worked hard to turn the cabaret into a safe space not just for the performers, but the Montreal community as a whole. Not only has the venue promoted consent and exploration, Frenchy organises several community initiatives for free workshops, clothing swaps, charity events for marginalized groups, and more. It’s a space where gals, guys, and non-binary pals, are welcomed with open arms. It’s where Mina Minou has been performing for the last eight years. Now, The Wiggle Room needs our help, and she’s producing a fundraiser event Sunday, June 7th at 7pm.
This past February, the heater, located on the roof of the building, broke. It was covered in layers of ice and snow leading to no repairs and cancelled shows. As many of you know, there’s no words to describe how cold Montreal can get. Thankfully, they persevered through quick thinking. “Frenchy set up a bunch of electric heaters to help. But it was definitely an experience. Mostly, we had cold toes. It wasn’t like the worst, it was just challenging and it took so long.” Mina told me.
The heating isn’t the only thing that needs fixing. With the unusual high temperatures we’ve been experiencing and the summer season quickly approaching, the AC unit also needs repairs since these issues seem to be related.
Their current goal is $3000. However, if they can get a much larger donation, the money will be going towards several other upgrades the cabaret needs like a new bar table and refrigerator. Like many buildings on the Plateau, the Wiggle Room is an old building in need of a lot of TLC.
“There’s just a bunch of small things and the big thing was the heating issue and all those small things add up to the environment and the burden. And it’s not, I want to be diplomatic… They’re not making a lot of money. We put on many beautiful shows and I’m sure Frenchy is doing okay, but I also know it's not easy and it’s not the most lucrative thing. It’s also true that there’s many things getting in the way of people coming out to have a good time.”
This Sunday’s show is bringing out the big hitters as well as some newcomers to give everyone an unforgettable night. Not only will there be performances from Velvet Pistol and Lady MuffinStuff, there will be a raffle at the end of the night with prizes from Sephora, art and some art. All the proceeds will go into funding the Wiggle Room’s repairs. “People should expect to be wowed. They should expect to be gagged. They should expect to be at a loss of words from how fabulous it is.”
There’s also a GoFundMe page set up for those who can’t make it to Sunday’s show. It’s going to be open for the next two weeks. If you’ve ever had a great time at the Wiggle Room or wish to in the near future, now’s the time to show your support by getting a ticket to one of the few burlesque cabaret’s not just in Canada, but all of North America.
WHAT: Wiggle Room Fundraiser
WHERE: The Wiggle Room, 3874 Boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1Y2
WHEN: Sunday, June 7 @ 7PM
METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
