Introduction: Fundue for you!
My sister and her partner recently returned from a weekend trip to Montreal to check out MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE. During their trip, they visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts where they caught a couple of different poetry performances. My sister watched as the drama kid within him woke up. She knew he needed a way to channel that energy, preferably for others’ amusement. A Talent Show Dinner Party was the perfect way for him to do that.
Decor: Set the Stage
Candles were lit, and the chandelier above the table was dimmed. The decorations were minimal, with a small flower centerpiece on the table. The pots were already set up and warmed for our arrival, and each plate had two skewers ready for use, as well as a fork and knife. It was very simple and very inviting!
Menu: Full Contact Fondue
The main course consisted of a variety of meats and vegetables to be cooked in the hot oil. The meats – chicken, steak and deer – had been marinating since the night prior. Batter was available for shrimp, cauliflower, peppers and onions (and steak for those who felt like their arteries could handle it). My personal favourites was the deer, shrimp and cauliflower. The featured cocktail of the night was a lavender lemonade mocktail.
All guests were on their best behaviour, largely because the hot oil was a little bit intimidating. My daughter had her own meal from her high chair. She was pushed away from the table, just in case we had a spill. Proper fondue etiquette was observed. Food was pulled off the fondue fork onto our plates and eaten with our personal forks.
This did not last. Once the hot oil was put away and replaced with melted chocolate, it became a bit more competitive. The first time someone knocked someone else’s strawberry off their fork was an accident, but from there, all bets were off. The goal became to keep your food on your fork while knocking off anyone else who dared to dip at the same time. A few stopped bringing in their own food and instead stole directly from others. It was full-contact fondue.
Chocolate ended up all over the table, but it was quickly cleaned up once everyone had their fill. Full and happy, and completely unsuspecting of the next part of our evening.
Talent Show: To Give or Not to Give Notice?
I had actually had a similar thought of asking our friends to prepare something for a talent show- style dinner party. The thought I had immediately after was, “Oh wait, what would I do? Followed by a feeling of panic. I hadn’t felt that since grade eight, when my teacher had us do improv after every lunch recess for a month. Let’s just say I never harboured any dreams of attending Second City.
The choice is yours if you want to let your guests prepare or not. I think our hosts knew there might be a few sudden cases of strep throat if they told us what they had in mind.
Featured Performances: No Flash Photography Please
Our first performance was a heartfelt poem about the Toronto Maple Leafs, read by my husband. You can find the poem here if you have any Leafs fans in your life you’d like to roast in a new medium. The author recommends reading it in an Irish accent, which I second.
Next was a sketch of two socks hanging on a clothesline in front of a mountain. The author clarified that it was sunset, not sunrise, and that the socks were hopeful that maybe tomorrow they would dry out. It had strong Waiting for Godot vibes. The paper ended up getting ripped up to be used for a round of Fishbowl before I could take a picture of it.
The standout performance of the evening was the host’s stand-up set. He was the only one who had prepared.
His first joke was original and got the most laughs. The second one was an embarrassing personal story involving him having food poisoning on a camping trip with a few of our other guests. His last joke was a retelling of one he had heard at a comedy show that weekend. We all hope that the comedian told it a lot better than our friend did (assuming he wants to keep his career). Overall, it was very entertaining.
The variety in performances was an added bonus. Having drawing supplies available was a great touch for those of us who are not fans of the spotlight.
Final Thoughts: The Guest Experience
I would absolutely recommend a Talent Show Dinner Party for any group, regardless of perceived talent. It was a very fun night with lots of laughs.
Now that I have experienced it, I would say the perfect pairing for a Talent Show Dinner Party is, without a doubt, Fondue. It takes a long time if you want to perform during the meal. Alternatively, a stomach ache from overeating can make for a believable excuse if you want to avoid performances afterwards.
Gifts for Your Host:
If you find yourself on the receiving end of a Talent Show Dinner Party, you can’t go wrong bringing a game for your host. Off Topic or Telestrations After Dark are fun choices and can capture some of the same energy a different night.
