Taffy and Janine Klein bring their new cabaret to The Abbey for one night only

(Photo courtesy Doug Ba’aser)

For Doug Ba’aser and Janine Klein, the best way to tackle the new “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill is by making an audience laugh, sing, and say “gay” a lot.

After nearly three years, Taffy (Ba’aser’s drag persona) and Klein are performing together again in “Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret,” written and directed by comedian Jeff Jones, on June 27 at The Abbey in Orlando for one night only to celebrate everything the LGBTQ community loves.

“I want people to just come and laugh for an hour, and go home with a smile on their face,” says Ba’aser. “There’s also a big, beautiful bar at the Abbey too, so that’s a plus.”

“Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” features Taffy and Klein, and their strong desire for some extra cash. In order to pay their rent, the duo has taken suggestions from the gay community for their next performance. Taffy and Klein flip through each suggestion on a giant easel and imagine what each suggestion may look like for their next cabaret.

Ba’aser says the inspiration behind the show stemmed from one of his previous Fringe shows highlighting LGBTQ icon Joan Crawford. After receiving some harsh reviews, he is now playing into the complaints for this performance.

“It’s kind of a slap in the face to somebody who once suggested that a show I did was solely pandering to the gay community,” says Ba’aser. “If that means I’m presenting something that the gay community would like and it gets people to come see it, then so be it. So, we just started laughing about that and decided to kind of make fun of ourselves and them.”

The cabaret features a sampling of all the good gay stereotypes — from disco to Broadway to anonymous sex and more. Ba’aser says in a time where the LGBTQ community still isn’t being fully accepted, it is important to poke fun at what the community commonly adores.

Ba’aser has been on the stage for over 20 years and has performed as Taffy for nearly seven. He says the love from the LGBTQ community and popularity of Taffy’s ridiculousness is what continues new shows year after year. Ba’aser and Klein have performed together countless times, but this will be their first time on stage together since the 2019 Orlando Fringe Theatre Festival.

Klein says she has been on the stage for nearly 42 years, following in the footsteps of her parents who met in the world of theater. While performing in a community theater her parents ran, she eventually went on to perform in hundreds of theaters across the country. Her most notable career move was touring with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Ginger Minj.

“I was a very unique child, and I was drawn to others who are unique, and were the underdog,” says Klein. “Plus, I had a big, belty Broadway voice. Put those two together, and you have an ally for life.”

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the infamous “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill into law this past March, the LGBTQ community has yet another roadblock in the way of full equality. With this in mind, Ba’aser says he just wants to ease the anxieties of LGBTQ locals for a night to let loose and remember that it is okay to have fun every now and then.

“We just want people to come and laugh for an hour and get away from so much of what’s going on in the world, especially in Florida, with the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, and now with the governor thinking about banning children from drag shows,” says Ba’aser.

The “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill was partially the inspiration for the title of the cabaret as well. As the governor is signing a bill for individuals to stop saying gay, Taffy and Klein say it thrice.

“After these ridiculous bans and laws of not being able to say gay, we thought it was a perfect name (for the cabaret),” says Klein. “I think it’s a smart move to do something fun and let people feel acceptance, especially right now.”

While the Orlando theater scene has been more dormant than usual in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klein says she is hopeful for new growth not only in the Orlando theater community, but in individual performers like herself.

For the last two years, Klein decided to become sober from alcohol. She says in the past, she would typically rely on a cocktail or two to get into the loose feeling of improvising on stage. “Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” will be the first time she performs a cabaret completely sober.

“I think it’ll actually keep me more present. I’ll be more in the moment with things and I probably won’t be as angry or sarcastic as I usually was,” says Klein.

“Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” will take place at The Abbey, a home to dozens of cabarets year-round. The local Orlando venue has previously hosted a Monday night cabaret series each summer, featuring several cabarets of all genres. After the unfortunate closing of Parliament House in 2020, The Abbey has adopted many of its patrons and continued to provide a home for LGBTQ performers.

“I love the sound quality in the venue, and I love the intimacy at the Abbey,” says Klein. “I love the people that run the Abbey too, they’ve always been great to us. It’s a great stage.”

Tickets for “Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” can be purchased at The Abbey’s official website. Taffy and Klein will be performing with the musical accompaniment of Christopher Leavy. Ba’aser says everyone will love the show, but the gay folks will think they have died and gone to heaven.

“We just want to create something silly, we’re not curing cancer, we’re not going to win any Tony Awards, but we just want people to come and laugh and have a good time,” he says.

“Gay Gay Gay: A Pandering Cabaret” plays at The Abbey in Orlando June 27, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $16 for general admission and $30 for VIP, and are available at Eventbrite.com.

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