Quebec drag and pop icon Mado Lamotte has done it all.
Mado has posed for her own wax figure at the Grevin Wax Museum, hosted mega outdoor shows at Juste Pour Rire, recorded a pop music album, wrote the bestselling 2023 memoir Une Madographie, and runs the legendary Cabaret Mado drag nightclub in the Village.
Famed for her sharp wit, Mado—a.k.a. former UQAM theatre student Luc Provost—is hitting the road with her new La Bitch Joyeuse Tour accompanied by her pianist Nick Burgess.
Mado recently sat down with Time Out Montreal for a candid Q&A about the world of drag and her love for Montreal.
Did you get your start as a shooter bitch and cigarette girl at Poodles and Club Lézard in Montreal in 1987?
I’ve been playing the role of Mado for 38 years. But Mado has changed and adapted with the times. Mado is not as provocative as she used to be because these days people just want to be happy and not reminded of the stupid man in the Oval office in the United States. We want to be entertained and forget about politics, forget about climate change, wars, all the drama. So I evolved with the people. I just want to make audiences happy, and that’s what we’ll be doing on this tour.
Did you and your drag sister Nana de Grèce attended Wigstock in 1995?
So many people took photos of us that we got flash burn! I was wearing a big wedding bell on my head. It was huge! And so funny. As we left our hotel I remember people looking at us in the streets of New York, laughing, taking photos, and I was like, “I am in New York City in drag!” This is evolution, and I’m part of it now. When we returned to Montreal, I was inspired when [Montreal’s original Pride organization] Divers/Cité asked me to organize my own full-fledged concert which I called Mascara.
Did you ever think that Mado would become this big?
Never! I would be lying if I said I knew I would become a big star. In those early days it was underground. Before we got to the big stages, it was the Bingo at Sky club that started everything. Producers from around Montreal came to see that show, then I headlined Le Spectrum in Montreal and Le Capitole in Quebec City.1996 was the year that everything really started for Mado.
How many designer outfits does Mado have in storage?
More than 500.
Drag fans and celebrities from around the world attend drag shows at Cabaret Mado. Backstage, are your queens bitchy or competitive? Or does everybody love everybody?
Everybody pretends to love everybody! [Laughs] Having been in drag dressing rooms around the world from Paris to Australia, I would say in Montreal we are very friendly. But some places out there... the competition when I was in New York, they wouldn’t mind pushing you down the stairs! I don’t know if it’s still like that. But in Montreal there are many successful queens. It helps that we have more than one drag bar.
How has RuPaul’s Drag Race changed drag?
It made drag mainstream. Now kids and moms love drag. We don’t have to beg for tips anymore. The thing is, the mainstreaming of drag has also made it a bit bland...
Will Mado host one more edition of Mado’s Drag Race at the Montreal Fringe Festival?
I found it exhausting because after Drag Race I’d go to work at Cabaret Mado. I’m not a young girl anymore. But I may come back to host one last show, the 25th anniversary edition in 2025.
Did your glorious Mom turned an amazing 99 in January?
When I started out she didn’t approve that much because she was already older and part of a traditional family. But now she’s so proud of Mado. Every time I visit her at her residence, she introduces me to a new friend: “That’s my son, he’s Mado!” She’s so proud of what I’ve accomplished.
Drag queens come and go. What is the secret of Mado’s longevity?
Like I said before, if you want to last in this community, you have to adapt to what’s happening right now. I can’t do Michelle Richard or Dalida every week because the kids don’t know her. Every time I do something from an old singer, people look at me like, “Who’s that?” It’s amazing to see how fast it goes.
What can audiences expect from your La Bitch Joyeuse concert?
It’s a bit different from a stand-up comic show or a drag show because I tell my story. There are many jokes, of course, and I sing some songs with my fabulous pianist Nick Burgess.
How much do you love your hometown of Montreal?
I adore it. And I’m tired of people saying that it’s dirty and ugly. We have to give her love. It’s a small city. It’s easy to travel around, easy to make friends. We’re not New York, Paris or London. We don’t have to perform. We can just be ourselves. We are the pearl of North America.
Montreal has many neighbourhoods. Which is your favourite?
I used to live in the Plateau Mont-Royal which used to be my favourite neighbourhood. Now I have a scooter and electric bicycle and I always travel around the city, so it’s hard to say which neighbourhood I love most.
What is your favourite bar, nightclub or venue in Montreal?
Cabaret Mado! When I’m not working, the best bar is around my kitchen island with my friends.
What’s your favourite local restaurant?
I enjoy brunch at Holder restaurant in Old Montreal, and anything pizza, but especially Pizzeria Napolitana on Rue Dante in Little Italy.
What are your favourite Montreal festivals?
I have a hard time attending festivals because I’m not good with big crowds. People recognize me, grab me, take photos. I’m not tall, I’m just five feet six inches without heels and my wig, and everyone else is taller. So I get claustrophobic. I prefer friendly little festivals in neighbourhood parks or a get-together with friends on my balcony.
What do you like about Montreal during the summer?
The men wear short shorts!
You are a true icon, even though other queens wish to claim the title Queen of Montreal.
Let the girls say what they want. Declare yourself the queen of whatever. I’m still the Queen Mother! I am the Goddess of Montreal!
When are the La Bitch Joyeuse tour dates?
March 2025
6 – Ottawa (National Arts Centre - Babs Asper Theatre)
7 – Victoriaville (Cabaret Guy Aubert)
8 – Saint Casimir (Les Grands bois)
19 – Laval (Salle André Mathieu)
20 – Lachine (L’Entrepôt)
21 – Sherbrooke (Théâtre Granada)
22 – Brossard (Le Club Square Dix30)
April 2025
4 – Québec (Le Petit Champlain)
5 – Québec (Lachapelle)
17 – Arvida (Théâtre Palace)
18 – Alma (Salle Michel-Côté)
19 – Dolbeau (Salle Desjardins – Maria Chapdelaine)
23 – Saint Eustache (Le Zénith)
24 – Sainte Agathe (Le Patriote)
25 – CEGEP Marie-Victorin (Salle Désilets)
May 2025
9 – Shawinigan (Centre des arts Salle Philippe-Filion )
June 2025
7 – Lévis (L’Anglicane)
8 – Drummondville (Maison des arts)
For more information about La Bitch Joyeuse Tour, click here.
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