BOISE, Idaho — A local Queer-centric and inclusive variety show called Femme Von Follies is presenting "Pride Extravaganza," a two-day event this weekend. The show, a celebration of Queer Pride and Art, features Burlesque, Cabaret, Pole Dancing, Aerial, Gogo, Comedy, Drag Artists and more.
"I've been doing Follies for three years," said performer and organizer Muff Jones. "The mission is keeping it a Queer-centric performance art and the reason we choose the venues we do is because being Queer shouldn't just box you into certain establishments. Normalizing being Queer in non-Queer establishments is very important to me."
The idea is to bring together the LGBTQ+ artists, community and supporters to celebrate National Pride Month. The 21+ "Pride Extravaganza" is Friday June 9 and Saturday June 10 at the Visual Arts Collective (VAC). Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the show starts at 9:00 p.m.
On Friday night Cyraphina Thunderpussy and Cookie Puss will be hosting 20 different performers and Saturday evening boasts 25 performances with hosts Big Gay Paycen and Cookie Puss.
"As a very visibly Queer person I love that Femme Von Follies does what they do," Paycen Said. "It's so nice to go to a place to perform where I feel comfortable in, sometimes, traditionally non-Queer spaces."
Jones said the first year she tried to get Queer art into non-traditional spaces, she was denied by 32 different places. The VAC was the first venue to host the "Extravaganza's" and Jones said it feels like a home there.
"It's like we get two Pride months," Paycen said, "the one now and the one in September."
National Pride Month is June but Idaho also celebrates Boise Pride September 8-10.
Each evening will have a mix of comedy, emotional tear-jerking, elegant, protest, chaotic, upbeat and fun performances. There are 24 acts and 34 cast members. The show has a mixture of comedians, cabaret singers, boy-lesque, circus performers, pole dancers, aerialists and Drag Queens.
Jones said that it's about taking the art back and re-branding it, "burlesque isn't just for heterosexual entertainment. People can say burlesque is just about the 'male gaze' but I say it's for the 'male gays'."
Paycen said that the art of burlesque, simplified, just means the art of the tease and, "all the people deserve to be celebrated and they are. We have great boy-lesquer's that present as hetero-normative."
Femme Von Follies variety show's stage manager and performer, Kate E. Gaga has been working with the show since 2021.
"I think it speaks to the diversity in Queer art. Yes, there are Drag Queens, Drag Kings and Burlesque, but there's also much more and seeing all of the diversity in Queer art has been really cool," Gaga said.
The, mostly, monthly variety show is always entertaining and always sells out quickly.
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