One member of The Journal’s editorial board holds a position on Project Red. They were not involved in the editing and reporting process of this story.
Project Red’s Portalis transports their audience through space, time, and dimension.
Running on Feb. 13 and 14 at Grant Hall, Project Red’s annual charity fashion show, Portalis offers a dazzling display of fashion, dance, and music, all for a good cause. The talented models presented a range of performances, from slow ballads to upbeat electro pop numbers, accompanied by incredibly talented musicians and dancers.
Project Red started at Queen’s 15 years ago and has since earned over $300,000 in funding for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, making the club the foundation’s largest student body fundraiser in Canada. The executives expressed how important it was to them to encourage a heart-healthy lifestyle to students at Queen’s and the community. Their fundraising efforts go a long way to ing a healthy lifestyle and Heart and Stroke awareness.
The show’s theme, “Portalis” caries the audience through time and place, with scenes referencing impactful books and movies such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), brought together by a commitment to novelty and excitement, never letting the audience know what to expect. The show was a testament to the extraordinary talent in the student body at Queen’s.
Co-directors Natalie Viebrock, ConEd ’26, and Cara MacKenzie, ArtSci ’25, Creative Directors Jaimie Frank, Comm ’25, and Sydney Fridmann, Sci ’25 alongside their team of 140 , have been working tirelessly for almost a year to bring the show to life.
“There were certain elements I was really particular about when I was imagining what I wanted on stage and seeing them on stage I literally just feel like crying,” Fridmann said in an interview with The Journal.
The ion for the project, and dedication to creating something new shone through in the final product. Each number was exciting and different from the last, inspired by different but equally impactful pieces of media, from Dracula to The Little Mermaid (1989).
The executives expressed their gratitude to the entire team, each contributing their unique perspective to bring the show together. “This is everybody else’s creative vision in the best way possible,” Frank said.
The first act, “Down the Rabbit had a clear thematic influence from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with beautiful costumes, and an abrupt change in light and sound to symbolize transportation or “falling down the Rabbit hole,” setting up the rest of the show beautifully.
The second act, “had a vampire theme, featuring black and red velvet outfits, and a high-energy dance number. The third act “Boundless” maintained a beachy theme, quickly switching through songs to keep the audience engaged.
After a brief intermission, featuring raffle baskets from YGK thrift, and vendors including ET, UNICEF Queen’s selling flower arrangements, Living Garments, Art by Lvz, Butterlicious, and Flint and Mabel.
The show resumed with “Without Warning,” a fun clown number, followed by “He Loves Me Still” and “Let Her Go.” The creative directors expressed their desire to create something different and unique, surprising the audience at every turn.
The show shifted from upbeat pop hits to slow melodic music at the drop of a hat. “Everything you think will happen will not,” Frank shared.
The final product was incredibly cohesive, while juggling the various costumes, lighting and music. “It’s kind of all over the place, but like, that’s the chaos it’s supposed to be,” Fridmann said.
The creators expressed their joy that something they love so much could contribute to a greater purpose.
“You don’t always think about it as you’re going through the creative process but once you’re on stage during the show you just realize all the things you’ve done have led up to that and it’s just a really big accomplishment to see all the money that amounted from it,” Fridmann said.
The executives hope the audience not only enjoys the show but engages with the material and are inspired to pursue creative endeavours at Queen’s.
“I honestly just want people to sit and enjoy it,” Frank said. “And hopefully they love it so much that if they’re still here next year, they want to be a part of the club.”
Corrections
A previous version of this story misspelled Sydney Fridmann’s last name. Incorrect information was published in the Feb. 14 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
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