In 1994, le Boudoir was created as a fundraiser for Divers/Cité, Montreal's gay pride festival. I had already organized several fundraising cabarets for Studio 303, and I fell in love with the art deco venue we had used, le Lion d'Or. Divers/Cité wanted a lesbian fundraising event, and after an initial brainstorming session between myself, Suzanne Girard (from Divers/Cité), and Elana Wright (from Dykes on Mykes), the concept of a glamourous lesbian cabaret was born. It was very difficult to assemble an all-queer female cast (aside from bands, there weren't many lesbian performers to be found in the city), so for that edition I imported a few friends from Toronto, and programmed the work of a lot of straight women. The next challenge was how to attract a decent crowd to a Tuesday night event? I made flyers and posters and called everyone I knew. 1994 was in the pre-web heyday of phone dating (always free for women at that time), so myself and a few volunteers called every single woman seeking woman ad that we found, leaving hundreds of voice mail messages in mysterious boxes. What a trip! The event was a huge success.

Since its inception in 1994 with 200 patrons paying $7, the event has grown dramatically. In 2003 and 2004, le Boudoir expanded to a sold-out 2-night event, attracting over 500 attendees at $15-$25 per ticket. To accommodate this unprecedented growth, le Boudoir changed venues in 2005, moving from the beloved Lion d'Or to the larger turn-of-the-century Corona Theatre. In 2006, le Boudoir will relocate to le National in the heart of the Gay Village, for a two-night run. Through the years, the event has evolved artistically and has benefited from increased production values, blossoming into what it is today: a totally unique performance experience put together in a mad frenzy of production and creation, mixing genres ('high' meets 'low' art), while bypassing generational and linguistic barriers - a slick yet spontaneous show where professionals and amateurs share the spotlight. Today there are core artists who tirelessly create work especially conceived for the event. They have helped define the esthetic essence of le Boudoir - I am blessed to have them as my muses!

Co-presenter for a fourth time by OUT Productions, the 2006 edition of le Boudoir promises to be most magical. See you there!

- Miriam Ginestier