What: Fornacoppia
Where: Garibaldi Lift Co.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 9
Tickets: $9
Somewhere in Whistler’s seedy underworld, tucked away amidst the warehouses and foul odours of Function Junction, Scott Musgrave is hunched over a poorly lit worktable creating a monster. Rumours have been circulating Whistler (in very hushed tones) and the word "Fornacoppia" has reportedly slipped from more than few lips recently but only a select few are privy to what Mr. Musgrave, the award-winning Garfinkel’s bartender and celebrated ladies man, is really up to.
"I’m trying to get this tear-away pants design just perfect," he said, smiling yet dead serious. "Velcro or snaps?"
Musgrave is the manager/producer of what could be the next great entertainment fad to sweep through our quiet mountain town – local men performing burlesque dances to some of the best/worst Boy Band pop songs of our time.
Class Act Talent presents Fornacoppia, a White Lightning Boy Band Burlesque Show, Nov. 9 at the Garibaldi Lift Company. Apparently the name is the only full mouthful involved.
"Our performers don’t strip completely," Musgrave said. "They dance around in their boy band booty shorts but we’re not looking to give the full monty here."
The performers, local men with no previous dance experience and stage names like "Lazer" and "Johnny Utah" will open with a choreographed number followed by six two-song solo acts for the ladies-only crowd. A grand finale is planned but details are being kept very hush-hush.
"It’s all about the fun and laughs," Musgrave said. "This is a very macho town and we want to take a bit of that testosterone and use it to give the ladies their own night out."
The show’s name, and the fact that it takes place on the opening night of Cornucopia, Whistler’s annual celebration for food connoisseurs and wine geeks, is no coincidence.
"We’re not affiliated with Cornucopia at all, but we want to provide an entertaining and fun night for their female crowd. The wine rave has always included body-painted female models and we figured why not set something up for the ladies?" he said, a sly grin crossing his face.
"And our show only costs nine bucks."
Chili Thom (stage name: White Lightening) is the leader of the Fornacoppia performers.
"This is just another way of fulfilling my lifelong dream of satisfying women," he said. "If that means I have to dance around in my undies, then so be it."
According to his new manager, Thom is a "yes" man and was easy to convince.
"I had quite a few guys coming up to the back bar at Garf’s and telling me how into it they were," Musgrave said. "But, once the liquid courage wore off, it was a whole different story. It takes a special kind of person to go through with this sort of thing, but hey, we’re only young once, right? I’d hate to be 80 years old, lying in bed wondering, ‘What if I’d given that a go?’"
The White Lightning Dancers are giving it a serious go, hiring professional choreographers to teach them the moves and sticking to a strict diet and workout routine.
"I’m in charge of all the dancers and so I have to keep them in shape," Musgrave said of his six other performers. "These guys are our salesmen. We hope to do a show a month starting in the spring and really be ready for next summer’s staggette season."
In the summer months, Whistler is host to multiple bachelorette and staggette parties each weekend. Musgrave’s partners, Class Act Entertainment, aim to give those thirsty ladies one more option for their proverbial last night of freedom.
"The White Lightning Dancers are Whistler’s only male-burlesque performers, so we’ll fill a definite need," Musgrave said. "By next summer we hope to have more performers and more elaborate shows providing a unique new type of quality entertainment that’s missing from this town."
Fornacoppia, a ladies-only event until after the performance has ended, takes place Wednesday, Nov. 9 at the Garibaldi Lift Company. Doors at 9 p.m. Tickets are $9 at Farfalla, the GLC, Vanity or Creation Station.
"We want to give the ladies a chance to have so much fun they get giddy," Musgrave said. "Gynocentric hedonism at it’s finest."
There are already rumours of a Canadian tour.
