There’s no better way to spend a Saturday night than partying with drag queens as they belt out Cher covers.
At least according to Jörg Michel, anyway.
Michel is a member of Jasper Pride Festival Society, which is holding its Diva-Licious fundraiser, featuring performances by divas Toni Lester Van Blam and Ginger Schnapps, this weekend.
The society was incorporated this September, to take over the organization of Jasper’s annual pride festival, which for the past four years has been run by HIV West Yellowhead.
With its first fundraising event Michel said the society hopes to raise a good chunk of change to put toward this year’s festival. He thinks with fabulous performances by the duo of divas this weekend, that shouldn’t be too hard.
Mychol Ormandy will be one of the divas performing at the Jasper Legion Nov. 30.
He said he “first put on a dress and a pair of shoes” for a performance when he was 17, so he’s got years of experience performing.
“The experience is like no other,” he said, “a whole different feeling comes over you.”
Ormandy said he and Josh Jacobson—who will perform as Ginger Schnapps—have been rehearsing hard for the show.
Along with the performance, Michel said the event will also feature a 50/50 draw, silent auction and Texas mickey draw. There will also be tons of great prizes, including tickets to see “the ultimate diva,” Cher, in Edmonton.
Michel and Ormandy also hinted that other surprises might be in store.
“You never know what the drag queens will pull out of their wigs; there’s going to be some good surprises,” Ormandy said.
Michel said with a society focused solely on the Jasper Pride Weekend, its fifth year should be far and away its best.
“We have a lot more time now to focus on the festival,” he said, which means it will be “bigger and better” than it’s ever been.
He said the society’s goal is to turn Jasper Pride Weekend into a “big draw,” bringing out both out-of-towners and Jasper’s local LGBT community.
Michel said the new society has already seen great traction in Jasper, and he hopes that support will translate into good attendance and a great party. He stressed that even though it’s an LGBT event, it’s not in any way exclusive; he wants the whole community to come out.
“Like our festival, it’s for everybody, and everybody’s welcome,” he said.
Trevor Nichols
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