There’s a place in Harrisburg where the drinks flow, everyone is invited, and the popcorn is always free. Oh, then there’s the vaudevillian floorshow, which is probably unlike anything you’ve seen this side of the Susquehanna.
Whether you’re looking for a place to show off your underappreciated talents or you’re more of a spectator wondering where all the fun people are, the Sundae Best Variety Show at Stallions Club in Harrisburg is the place to be on the first Sunday night of every month.
The inaugural show kicked off in March and has been drawing a growing crowd since. The show’s hosts and creators, who go by the names of Felicia O’Toole and Maxwell Treats, have lovingly curated a night to remember, welcoming any and all who wish to participate. The variety show features a mélange of as many as eight acts loosely competing for top prizes.
O’Toole explained that the concept for the variety show came to her after seeing a similar show at the Blue Moon Bar in Pittsburgh.
“I thought it would be a good idea to start something like that in Harrisburg,” she said. “There are a lot of people that don’t do drag and don’t have an outlet for what they do.”
Acts have ranged from drag and standup comedy to burlesque and pole dancing. And then there’s the halftime show that often includes off-the-wall slapstick routines by O’Toole and Treats, along with gloriously campy musical numbers and special guest performances.
For a $5 cover, the audience also can vie for some of the spoils by participating in random games throughout the night. Anything goes, short of nudity or fire.
“We just started a partnership with Athena’s by Jim, which is a sex toy and other retailer,” said Treats. “We’ve also been giving out tchotchkes like piggy banks or a 99-cent pregnancy test.”
Similar Wavelength
For the Treats and O’Toole, Stallions is the perfect place to mount a show like this, as the club’s patrons tend to be open to their kind of humor and entertainment. Besides, the pair met while O’Toole was performing there.
“I feel like we’re on a similar wavelength with the style of drag that we do, which is a little bit out of the box for this area,” said Treats. “I try to do things that are fun and silly, but also kind of perverse in an unexpected way.”
Treats described drawing inspiration from older strains of drag like the gender-bending Cockettes, a California-based avant-garde group from the 1960s and ‘70s that worked with director John Waters and his muse, Divine, at one point.
“When I put my makeup on, that kind of decides who I’m going to be that evening,” said Treats.
For O’Toole, inspiration comes from all over—and when least expected.
“I never know when it’s going to hit me,” she said. “When I started drag, I really wanted to be larger than life. I wanted to be over the top, like huge hair, huge boobs, huge shoes, eyebrows up to Jesus. I’ve branched out from there, definitely. It just depends on the audience, the crowd, how I’m feeling.”
Immersive Experience
Audience members are encouraged to dress in their Sunday best and compete in a “Look Contest,” which is wide open to interpretation and may or may not match the night’s theme.
Everyone is invited to take part in the wide array of games and activities during intermission and after the show, which has included a photo booth with props, a can toss, giant Jenga and limbo.
O’Toole and Treats are also looking for artists and filmmakers to reach out to the show. One night’s theme, called “Out of the Toy Box,” featured an installation reminiscent of artist Mike Kelley’s work, in which hundreds of stuffed animals were sewn together and then mounted to the wall and ceiling.
“We want to create an immersive experience for people,” said O’Toole. “Not just a show every month. We try to take it to the next level. And we always have a movie showing that goes with the theme.”
“That’s what I’m hoping to expand on,” added Treats. “It would be amazing if someone had a short that they wanted to screen, and then we could screen it the whole night.”
The variety show has been gaining traction, developing a loyal crew of helping hands along the way. The show’s resident photographer, Billy Hicks, shot the first month for free just because he wanted to be involved.
“There are a lot of really great spaces in Harrisburg that are accessible to people who want to perform, but they’re very specific,” said Treats. “This show is nice because it gives you the freedom to experiment and workshop new ideas. But also, you have a wider audience range.”
“We want to turn into more of a collective,” explained O’Toole of their vision for the show’s future.
“I love performance art,” said Treats. “Just come on stage and do a weird ritual or shave your head or whatever you want to do in front of people. Confess your undying love to someone. I want people to know that everyone is welcome and everyone will be supportive of whatever it is you want to do.”
The Sundae Best Variety Show is held the first Sunday of the month at Stallions Club, 706 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For sign up and information, e-mail sundaebestvariety@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/SundaeBestVariety. Doors open at 8 p.m.; show at 9 p.m. Post-show activities go until 2 a.m.
