SCCT plans breezy Christmas cabaret
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, December 20, 2007
Sioux City Community Theatre volunteers have something in common with Dean Martin, Sonny and Cher, and Andy Williams.
Characteristic of those famous performers were their incredible Christmas specials. Actors and vocalists will present a combination of holiday-themed music, monologues, and irreverent fun in the third annual Christmas Cabaret on the theater's mezzanine this weekend.
Under the direction of Brian Mathers, the performers present some Christmas songs that are familiar and some that are not so.
"It's not just a concert of songs people know," Mathers clarified. "There are a number of fun parodies of Christmas songs that the audience will enjoy."
Mathers started this cabaret approach in Lincoln, Neb., ten years ago. At that time he was the executive director of the Lincoln Action Program, a private, nonprofit Community Action Agency dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families with low-incomes in Lancaster and Saunders Counties. With some friends also interested in an artistic outlet during the holidays, an "Angels" company was formed to present Christmas entertainment, Mathers said.
"It was just a group of friends who wanted to get together and over the years, some moved and some stayed and new ones came on board and it fell to me to organize it," he noted. "We just saw it as a sort of fun event to present traditional holiday fare."
When Mathers moved to Sioux City three years ago to take on the job of development director for the community theater, he recruited Siouxlanders to be part of the Angels Company, thus having a mix of the two groups performing in two venues.
"The appeal is that you can involve new people every year in an event that doesn't take a lot of rehearsal time," he said.
Although there are a number of recognizable songs, some of the artists will write their own "spins" on the holiday favorites. That includes Mathers, who is now the coordinator of sponsored programs for the University of South Dakota for the office of research and also the accompanist for the production.
"The audience will get to see the performers in a variety of combinations, solos, duets, groups," he said. "We've worked up some fun stuff and some nice music."
Christmas Cabaret is a fund-raising event and will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday on the mezzanine at the Sioux City Community Theatre, 1401 Riverside Blvd. Tickets are $10 general admission and may be reserved by calling the box office at 233-2788 on Friday between 1 and 5 p.m., although it is open seating on the mezzanine. Ticket members may use their Special Event punch for this. Tickets will also be available at the door. For more information visit the theater's Web site at http://www.scctheatre.org.
Characteristic of those famous performers were their incredible Christmas specials. Actors and vocalists will present a combination of holiday-themed music, monologues, and irreverent fun in the third annual Christmas Cabaret on the theater's mezzanine this weekend.
Under the direction of Brian Mathers, the performers present some Christmas songs that are familiar and some that are not so.
"It's not just a concert of songs people know," Mathers clarified. "There are a number of fun parodies of Christmas songs that the audience will enjoy."
Mathers started this cabaret approach in Lincoln, Neb., ten years ago. At that time he was the executive director of the Lincoln Action Program, a private, nonprofit Community Action Agency dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families with low-incomes in Lancaster and Saunders Counties. With some friends also interested in an artistic outlet during the holidays, an "Angels" company was formed to present Christmas entertainment, Mathers said.
"It was just a group of friends who wanted to get together and over the years, some moved and some stayed and new ones came on board and it fell to me to organize it," he noted. "We just saw it as a sort of fun event to present traditional holiday fare."
When Mathers moved to Sioux City three years ago to take on the job of development director for the community theater, he recruited Siouxlanders to be part of the Angels Company, thus having a mix of the two groups performing in two venues.
"The appeal is that you can involve new people every year in an event that doesn't take a lot of rehearsal time," he said.
Although there are a number of recognizable songs, some of the artists will write their own "spins" on the holiday favorites. That includes Mathers, who is now the coordinator of sponsored programs for the University of South Dakota for the office of research and also the accompanist for the production.
"The audience will get to see the performers in a variety of combinations, solos, duets, groups," he said. "We've worked up some fun stuff and some nice music."
Christmas Cabaret is a fund-raising event and will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday on the mezzanine at the Sioux City Community Theatre, 1401 Riverside Blvd. Tickets are $10 general admission and may be reserved by calling the box office at 233-2788 on Friday between 1 and 5 p.m., although it is open seating on the mezzanine. Ticket members may use their Special Event punch for this. Tickets will also be available at the door. For more information visit the theater's Web site at http://www.scctheatre.org.
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