COVID Conversations
Panty Bartending with Heidi – quarantine cocktails anyone can make at home
theBUZZ caught up with Heidi Michelle Thomas, a currently unemployed multi-talented entertainer, who has been using her multi-talents to create some hilarious videos for her friends to watch, along with anyone else who wants to as well. So without further ado, let us introduce to you to your stay at home bartender friend, Heidi!
Tell us about you – pre-pandemic. What do you do for work? For fun? For indulgence? How has that changed?
Life before the quarantine?
Let me see if I can recall life before couch arrest-and being a Maid, Vegan Chef and Sex Slave…I am a Performer; an Actress, a Comedian, and a Singer. I recently played The Narrator in Hart House Theatre’s Rocky Horror Show and was featured on several television series before the new world order life began. My Jo job has been bartending at Scotia Bank Arena/ACC for the past 5 years. I was among the first to feel the impact of COVID-19; when the NBA suspended their Season on March.11. I had just stepped foot out of Mirvish’s SUMMER -The Donna Summer Musical; to discover the news. Mingling afterwards with so many I knew from varying walks of life, I knew then this would be my last time in a Social setting like this or a Theatre for awhile. This was extra hard to face, as my One woman Show FIRED!; was to be apart of The Toronto Fringe Festival in July 2020, AFTER 10 YEARS OF APPLYING.. naturally, I instantly had the feeling that was no longer going to be happening. I mean my Show is called FIRED!
The next day The NHL canceled their Season, and on Friday Elton John and all the other’s canceled their Tours. I was going into a 13 day straight work week between Sports and Concerts and suddenly it all vanished from my Calendar in 48 hours. I was also to be Hosting a Beach party Cabaret with my long-time friend and fellow performer Chris Beck at Pegasus on Church on the Sunday. We had worked on our numbers, costumes, set, games and songs/duets for months, but I knew given the situation we had to cancel it, even though we had sponsors-ironically one of them CORONA. At the time I was a week ahead of the other’s in the Service Industry, this was not yet a reality for most, and not many had been impacted or yet saw it as dire a situation as it was to become. Then Monday St. Patrick’s Day festivities and events were canceled for the Tuesday and then Church St. Closed completely.
I was also officially laid off on the Monday, and The Fringe Festival canceled the following week.
Only I could get in to the Fringe with a Show about getting FIRED! 75 times and manage to get FIRED! two more times between getting in to the Festival and it pulling the plug. I warned my co-conspirator Tom Bufton that now he was working with me FIRING was in his future, he said he had NEVER been Fired and that wasn’t going to happen. I had recently helped him get a job at MLSE a few months earlier, so now he had been “FIRED” from 3 jobs due to the pandemic.
Priceless, and here we are 5 weeks later.
Previous to March.11, I had just come back from a fun filled Vacation with my Hanlans crew in gay Puerto Vallarta , with 30 fabulous fellas. We never saw this coming getting countless buckets of beer (Corona no less) on the beach.
Now that we’re all self-isolating, I saw one of the ways you’ve been keeping busy is by creating home bartender videos under the title – Panty Bartending w Heidi – Tell us how the concept came about, how the reception has been to your videos, and I hear you take requests?
I live with my partner/bf Paul Sutherland; who is working F/T. So I decided to meet the challenge and continue to work F/T as well. I have learned new unexpected skills during this quarantine and made-up many a Quarantini. I now know more about editing than I could have possibly imagined, which is a real blessing and a bonus to these unpredictable times.
It started off as a one-off with a make-shift Sangria, and I have been getting requests steadily ever since. I currently have a backlog of 11 I’m trying to catch up to, I’m happy to bring joy and some sort of excitement to each day in my own small way to help people get through these isolated times. The thing that really pisses me off is that FB and YOUTUBE are really enforcing COPYRIGHT rules heavily. I have had Videos muted and pulled for having popular music playing in the background. I find it ridiculous as I am not seeking monetary gain.
I feel I am still doing my part to keep my creative juices flowing and keep my communities together by posting these silly videos. I never imagined that they would actually help people get through the long days with laughter and looking forward to seeing their drink requests coming up. I am honored by the comments I get both posted and private, about how much people look forward to seeing these and how much they help pass the days.
You can check them all out here and please make a request!
Post Pandemic questions –
What’s the first thing you’re looking forward to when we’re allowed to socialize again?
HANLANS!
What’s your favourite hangout in the city?
HANLANS/CHURCH ST.
Favourite bar? Restaurant? Nightclub?
Pegasus or Wide Open
Pho Nho or Disgraceland
Nightclub? Do people still frequent those anymore? I don’t believe in standing in queues/lineups, and I am thrilled in the Quarantine that Bottle Service and the type have been eliminated. However, I will have to go with the new Comfort Zone in Parkdale.
Favourite artist? Musician? Drag Queen?
Artist- Karey Spady and Shawn Skeir
Musician- I currently have $1500 worth of tickets to Lady Gaga Aug.9 (if that actually happens)
Drag Queen- Scarlett Fever (who recently turned 50!)
That’s it, that’s all. Thanks again, stay safe, and keep those drinks coming!
DONE!
REQUEST?
About the Author
Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.