Nebraska Rep begins new holiday tradition with 'The Holiday Cabaret'

The Lakeshore Dolls, an acapella trio based in Chicago, headline The Holiday Cabaret ensemble.
The Lakeshore Dolls, an acapella trio based in Chicago, headline The Holiday Cabaret ensemble.

Nebraska Rep begins new holiday tradition with 'The Holiday Cabaret'

calendar icon21 Nov 2017    

The Nebraska Repertory Theatre creates a new holiday tradition with "The Holiday Cabaret" Dec. 13-17 in Studio Theatre.
The Nebraska Repertory Theatre creates a new holiday tradition with "The Holiday Cabaret" Dec. 13-17 in Studio Theatre.

Lincoln, Neb.--The Nebraska Repertory Theatre begins a new holiday tradition this December with “The Holiday Cabaret.” Enjoy holiday standards performed by past Rep performers, emerging artists and our special guests and Chicago’s premiere, sweet-singing female trio, The Lakeshore Dolls.

Performances are Dec. 13-16 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theatre in the Temple Building. For tickets, contact the Lied Center Box Office at (402) 472-4747 or online at www.nebraskarep.org. The show is conceived and directed by Nebraska Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Andy Park.

“One of the things I’m really excited about this cabaret is that it’s actually a really traditional style of cabaret performance,” Park said. “You get comedy, and you get old-fashioned holiday songs and musical styles. People will get a real sort of throwback holiday cabaret experience. There’s just something about this that just feels right for the holidays. It’s like going home to visit with family and friends. It’s warm, and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for the audience.”

The audience will also be able to enjoy holiday goodies and libations during the performance. There will also be a live band, musically directed by Vince Learned.

“It will be a very typical cabaret-style band with piano, bass and drums,” Park said. “We’ve invested in the band because we want it to be just extraordinary.”

The show will also feature The Lakeshore Dolls, an acapella trio from Chicago whose aesthetic is reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters, who sing music ranging from the 1940s standards to pop hits of today.

“These performers are so tight vocally,” Park said. “They’ve been performing for years. They perform all over the place, and they’re very much in the tradition of The Andrews Sisters. In fact, they’ll do a couple of Andrews Sisters songs, I’m sure.”

The total cast includes 14 people.

“Many of them are some of the top students here in the program,” Park said. “And then we also have a couple of guests, like Dr. Bill Grange, who will be making an appearance. One of the songs he will be singing is ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.’ It’s going to be fun.”

Park will also be performing in The Holiday Cabaret.

“I’m a ventriloquist so I’m going to bring my puppet with me to perform, which will be fun,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a good show.”

There are other surprises in the works as well for the performance, as Park creates what he hopes will be a new holiday tradition for Lincoln.

“The hope is that this is a new holiday tradition, and we’ll mix it up a little bit every year, “Park said. “Hopefully this will be something that the families will realize is here every year and will make it part of their holiday traditions.”

Tickets are $30 regular and $15 for students and members of OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). Seating, in cabaret style around tables, is limited and is general admission.

THE HOLIDAY CABARET ensemble is:
THE LAKESHORE DOLLS (Darcie, Molly, Taylor),
Bryce Bassett, Alisa Belflower, Matthew Carter, William Grange, Michelle Ingle, Krista Lawrence, Aguel Lual, Nick Prior, Karen Richards, Ryan Savage, Kellyn Wooten. THE HOLIDAY CABARET band includes: Vincent T. Learned (conductor, keyboards), Jonah Bennett (bass), Stephen Cantarero (bass), Jami Fristo (drums) and Gary Shuda (drums).

THE HOLIDAY CABARET designers are:
JD Madsen (scenic), Jordan Taylor Thomas (lighting), Araceli Ramirez (sound) and Jamie Bullins (costume coordinator). The production is stage managed by Matthew Knight.

The Lakeshore Dolls:
The Lakeshore Dolls are an acapella trio, based in Chicago, whose aesthetic is reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters, but who sing music ranging from 1940s standards to pop hits of today. The girls met during a production of Sweet Charity in 2014, and have been singing together ever since. The Dolls arrange all of their own music, taking inspiration from each girl’s unique voice and style, and the belief that sometimes the most unlikely combination of songs makes for the best arrangements!

Darcie
Darcie is originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois. After high school, Darcie moved to New York City where she pursued a musical theatre career. Darcie had the opportunity to perform in several shows, and has performed in every US state (except Alaska), throughout Canada, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, and Singapore. She then met the love of her life, got married, and moved to Vegas where she had the opportunity to try out her “Show Girl” skills. After a few years in Vegas, Darcie and her husband, Noel, found themselves back in the Midwest. Chicago is now where they call home. When not singing or performing, Darcie enjoys yoga, traveling, hanging out with friends, and working on her suntan.

 

Molly
Molly was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and moved to Chicago in the summer of 2013. Since then, she’s been performing with amazing companies like Quest Theatre Ensemble, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, and the Shedd Aquarium. When Molly isn’t performing, she likes to keep busy by knitting and crocheting, watching terrible horror movies just to make fun of them, and teaching herself how to play guitar, ukulele and piano.

Taylor
Taylor grew up in Auburn, Michigan, and later moved to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University where she studied both Theatre and Computer Science. After graduation, she moved even further west to Chicago with her now husband, where she is working as an independent app developer. Since living in the city, she has performed in Sweet Charity at the Skokie Theatre - where she met Molly and Darcie! - and has participated in multiple productions with Quest Theatre Ensemble. When she’s not singing, dancing or programming, Taylor enjoys running, indoor rock climbing, watching Game of Thrones and browsing Reddit Aww.

The remaining Nebraska Rep productions are:
Show four is AVENUE Q with performances back at the Lied Center’s Johnny Carson Theater.
March 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16 | 7:30 PM
March 4 and 11 | 2:00 PM
Individual tickets are $34, $17 for students and OLLI members.

Show five is THE REP’S RISING STARS with two performances only in the Temple Building.
March 30 and 31 | 7:30 PM
Individual tickets are $14, $7 for students and OLLI members. These performances are free to Nebraska Repertory Theatre season ticket holders.

 

Show 6 is William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES. Performances are in the Temple Building.

April 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21 | 7:30 PM

April 15 and 22 | 2:00 PM

April 22 | 2:00 PM

Individual tickets are $30, $15 for students and OLLI members