P rtLand after dar s u m m e r g u i d e 2 0 1 7 7 9 audience seems particularly responsive to the artist’s use of whipped cream during this performance. No matter what your level of prudishness, the good-natured at- mosphere of the show makes it hard not to find yourself laughing and cheering along while sparkles and breasts go flying across the stage. During the second act of the eve- ning, we’re introduced to the star of the show, producer/director Sundae Morn- ing. Her routine involves tempting three unsuspecting volunteers from the audi- ence to eat ice-cream sundaes with their hands tied behind their backs. Ms. Morn- ing cackles as three men take the stage. With little else than a glittering mara- schino cherry topping her head in the way of clothing and a mouth full of Bet- te Midler-esque lines, she captures our attention even as three grown men wolf down ice-cream hands-free in front of us. My cheeks hurt from laughing by the time she leaves the stage. It’s clear to me I must meet the woman behind the pasties. taSty deLight hristina Mosher, a.k.a. Sun- dae Morning, grew up in Ly- man, Maine. At 21, she attend- ed her first drag show. “Look, my broth- er says ‘hoss’ instead of house and drives a lifted truck, if that tells you anything,” she says of her upbringing. After per- forming in shows doing “faux drag” (a fe- male performance that adopts the style of male drag queens), Mosher eventually be- gan performing at the now-closed Studio 55, directing a weekly drag performance. Since Studio 55’s closure in October 2016, Voulez-Vous Burlesque, Mosher’s 13-mem- ber troupe, still puts on two cabaret perfor- mances per month. Each show, written and choreographed by Mosher herself, takes about three weeks to produce, including the design and creation of costumes. Who knew a bucket of rhinestones costs $15? But it’s all worth it in the end, says Mosher, who notes that her confidence on stage has sometimes surprised audience members. “I’ve had women tell me that they wish they could do what I do, but just aren’t comfortable. I think to myself, ‘Why is it radical for a size-14 woman to be comfort- able showing her body?’” Many of Voulez-Vous’ performanc- es poke fun at popular culture and cur- rent events–as any good cabaret act should. The troupe’s Inauguration Day show at Ge- no’s a few months ago took audience mem- bers by surprise. Mosher recalls a few men being a bit taken aback at just how much fun the troupe had with Mr. President. “At the end of the day, you’re going to offend somebody,” she says with a cheeky wink. “There’s a time and place for everything.” This summer you can catch several cabaret performances by Voulez-Vous in Portland, including I F*cking Love Food Part Two at Portland House of Music and Events on June 15 and When You Wish Upon a Bra, a Disney-themed perfor- mance in August. If you’re still not sure you can handle a night out with Voulez- Vous, ask yourself, “What good is sitting alone in your room?” ■ Brewed for times likethese. 4:25PM SEBAGO LAKE SBC.20556.SimmerDownLake.PrintAd.PortlandMag.6.2017.FR.indd 1 3/30/17 10:24 AM