SOUTHAMPTON, NY – This past weekend “Our Fabulous Variety Show” presented Fire and Ice with D.E.O.X. of the Raffa Show at 230 Elm Venue located at 230 Elm Street in Southampton, NY.
The organization was founded by two lovely ladies, Kasia Klimiuk, (Artistic Director, choreographer, producer, and CFO) and Anita Boyer, (Director, Choreographer, Producer, & COO).
OFVS consists of an ever evolving troupe of dedicated thespians who are on a mission to hone the craft of live performance while raising funds and awareness for both local and national non-profit organizations.
Before the performance I had the privilege of interviewing Co-Founder Kasia Klimiuk.
Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane interviews Kasia Klimiuk and Anita Boyer Founders of Our Fabulous Variety Show and the star of the Show DEOX Of The Raffa Show at 230 Elm in Southampton, NY
Hello darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here in Southampton on a very snowy nigh but that doesn’t stop this entertainment troupe from performing right here at 230 Elm Street and this organization is called OFVS. Introduce yourself to the camera darling.
Kasia: My name is Kasia Klimiuk and I am the producer for “Our Fabulous Variety Show.”
And that’s what OFVS stands for.
Kasia: Correct.
Tell my audience what we are going to see tonight.
Kasia: Tonight you are going to see a very entertaining show which actually features one of our amazing performers Danny Ximo of the Raffa Show. Tonight he will be performing as D.E.O.X.,
Nice!
Kasia: That character actually debuted in our production “Spectacular Christmas Carol,”
Yes you recently had a Christmas production. I was unable to attend that but I figured I want to check you guys out and see what It’s all about because the Hamptons is buzzing about your entertainment troupe how wonderful it is.
Kasia: Thank you, yeah he actually debuted as “Christmas Present” and he was one of the ghosts in the show. It sought of is a fusion of masculine and feminine and he had a show called The Raffa Show that he had done here several times before. He has done it all over the world. It’s a show where he impersonates iconic female entertainers like Liza Minnelli, Raffaella, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Tina Turner, everyone.
He must be amazing.
Kasia: He is amazing!
Wow!
Kasia: You are in for a treat tonight. Tonight he will be doing a lot of Raffa Show favorites. A lot of them were sung by Alan Cumming.
Oh, I interviewed Alan Cumming.
Kasia: Did you?
Yes. He is fabulous. He really is. He is just one of the most talented actors there is out there and I adore him. I interviewed him several times, once at the Hamptons International Film Festival when they were giving him an award. Wendy Williams presented the award and I was there for that.
So this is very exciting, He performs and he has his own interpretation of all these celebrities.
Kasia: Yes he does it to the T. It’s like you are watching Liza.
Now how did you get involved?: Why did you get involved into this?
Kasia: I am a performer, actress, singer dancer. Actually my partner Anita Boyer and I started the organization back in 2010. The two of us were running a half marathon and we had to raise the money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America because that’s what the half marathon was going to benefit. We decided to put on a show. We met doing “Cabaret” at the Southampton Cultural Center and we got a bunch of talented friends together. It was a one time thing and it evolved into an amazing theatrical troupe that has grown exponentially. We have been rated Dan’s Papers Best Theater Group on the South Fork for two years in a row, 2013 and 2014, it just keeps growing and getting better.
I see that! After this particular show what are you working on next?
Kasia: We actually are planning our 2015 season. We are going to be bringing back “The Spectacular Christmas Carol” in December at Guild Hall for two weekends this year, one weekend last year.
I would love to come that.
Kasia: We are also working on another project, “Our Fabulous Adventure in Wonderland” which will be based on “Alice on Wonderland.”
Very nice. Who is involved in the team of people putting this all together.
Kasia: It is just Anita and I.
Just you two! Oh my God. Now I understand this another reason why I wanted to come tonight. You mentioned something previously that you were working for a charity to raise money and I noticed that on the website you work with other organizations to raise funds. That’s really what I am all about. I believe in giving back to charities. Where do we participate? Where do we contribute? How can we get more involved?
Kasia: This is part of our mission. Every show we choose a beneficiary and we donate a portion of the proceeds to a local organization. The last show we donated to HUGS which was a youth organization that teaches students about anit-drugs, anti-suicide and we actually donated 2,500 dollars to them at our last show.
That’s wonderful.
Kasia: Each Time we try to pick an organization. We also started a performing arts scholarship for our June show last year. One of our dancers was a recipient for that. She was a local high school senior, she got that scholarship.
How nice! How lovely! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information. What is the website?
Kasia: www.OurFabulousVarietyShow.org
Co-Founder Anita Boyer has a strong passion for choreography, dance, singing, and putting on spectacular events for worthy causes, Anita co-produced the original Fabulous Variety Show which helped raise over $8,000 for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Anita graduated from Ohio University with a major in Video Production and brings to the group her almost 20 years of dance experience and her event planning savvy. Anita is the coordinator for the East End Arts Teeny Awards program, she teaches dance for the Riverhead Faculty Community Theatre (RFCT) and DanceHampton in East Hampton, and she choreographs and directs shows all over the East End! Most recently she directed and choreographed Godspell for RFCT which was a fabulous success! She loves working with such a talented group of people to put on these shows!
Our Fabulous Variety Show Co-Founder Anita Boyer poses for a photo-op with Entertainment Journalist and Host Cognac Wellerlane.
Here is what she had to say:
Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with Anita Boyer the other half of this wonderful organization. Tell my audience again what the name is.
Anita: “Our Fabulous Variety Show”
Now that’s an interesting name. “Our Fabulous Variety Show,” what made you call it that?
Anita: Our original show was to raise money for our half marathon that we were running in Las Vegas for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and we kind of based the whole poster off of “Welcome to The Fabulous Las Vegas Show” sign so that’s where the fabulous comes in.
I see.
Anita: Throughout the process of putting on all these shows we have really been trying to embrace the whole “Our” concept. We love to get input from every single member of the cast. Everyone has an idea; we always hear it and try to utilize it. We do try to really focus on the “Our” The “O” the Our of “Our Fabulous Variety Show.”
Later I chatted with the star Danny Ximo, D.E.O.X. of The Raffa Show.
Our Fabulous Variety Show Danny Ximo as D.E.O.X. of The Raffa Show poses for a photo-op Entertainment Journalist and Host Cognac Wellerlane.
Welcome back, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the star of the show who is going to be performing tonight. Introduce yourself to the camera darling.
D.E.O.X.: Tonight I am going to be DEOX which is the initials of my name and my stage name. Daniel Eduardo Orlando Ximo and actually my artistic name is Danny Ximo. It’s two complicated. I am so many personalities!
I love it! I love the whole idea! I love the concept and I can’t wait to see the show. I want you to tell my audience about your act and what it is all about. The whole thing, everything!
D.E.O.X.: Well actually you know this is the first time that the show is gong to have a twist. Before it use to be more like a female impersonation and now it is going to be something in between. Between a male and a female. That is why I have a beard, I have lip gloss, I have eyelashes.
Did you do your makeup? Did you do it yourself?
D.E.O.X.: Yes!
Beautiful!
D.E.O.X.: Thank you. Tonight is going to be different once again. You know we did the Christmas show and that is when I introduced DEOX to the fans of “Our Fabulous Variety Show,” I got a very good response from the audience. I am excited now about introducing my new baby to the audience.
How many characters are you going to be performing?
D.E.O.X.: It’s weird. It’s a transition. The show is going to be a transition with music, with different costumes, dance, it’s going to be a variety show.
Will you be impersonating celebrities?
D.E.O.X.: Yes, when I did female impersonators I did more specific.., like Liza Minnelli, this and that. Tonight something like that is going to happen in a different perspective.
Do you have a specific character, a specific personality that you just adore to impersonate?
D.E.O.X.: I think I sang “New York, New York” by Liza Minnelli more times than she did herself. They love my Liza Minelli and I love her!
I can’t wait to see this.
D.E.O.X.: I also invite the audience to go to YouTube and they can find my previous shows on the Raffa Show DEOX and they can look for the videos on youtube.
D.E.O.X. : Big Spender, Friday Dec. 5th 2014, Guild Hall East Hampton New York.
Terrific! Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about you. Do you have a website?
D.E.O.X.: I don’t have a website but I have a facebook page which is Facebook/Raffa Show Feat Deox. That is the page of my show and then I have my own page which is Facebook/Danny Ximo
