PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The show by Rita Baga (and its creator, Jean-François Guèvremont) recounts the emotions of a creature who has come from space to discover the different musical eras that have made planet Earth vibrate, from the cabaret years to today. Here, the artist sports an 80s look inspired by Annie Lennox.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Creature is made up of a series of tableaux combining music, song, dance and costumes. The popular drag has sometimes pushed the note (especially on a beautiful cover of bang bang [My Baby Shot Me Down] by Nancy Sinatra).
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Presented for two years – with more than 45,000 tickets sold – the show Creature won the Olivier for best visual design in 2023. Inventive and flamboyant, the projections and costumes deployed on Sunday largely explained why.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Rita Baga is a regular crowd: she has already hosted a show in front of more than 23,000 people, at the Olympic Stadium in 2022, during the Montreal Pride festival. Spectators were also very numerous on the Place des Festivals to attend this 100e representation of Creature.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The one we saw in particular at Canada’s Drag Race And Big Brother Celebrities was surrounded by many guests, including Kim Richardson (in the photo), who performed several disco songs.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Joe Bocan (pictured) and Yves P. Pelletier also took part in this historic concert, which marks a new milestone: before Rita Baga, no drag artist in the country had managed to present a show 100 times before.