All Vivian and Bill want for Christmas is for you to come to their Christmas party.
The Savannah Cabaret is back with ‘Vivian & Bill’s 1970s Christmas Party,’ the immersive theatrical cabaret experience.
“I’m really proud of the fact that we have created a group where like-minded people just want to come together, have fun and put on a really good show for people,” said Rick Garman, writer, and producer of the show.
With over ten shows under their belts, the Savannah Cabaret have produced an impressive body of work ranging in themes and various genres of music.
This all-new production features Disco-era costumes, sets, and characters singing classic versions of beloved holiday tunes.
There will be three performances Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 16-18 at 7:30pm at Club One’s Bay Street Theatre.
“Last year’s show took place in the 1960’s. This year, we wanted to jump forward and set it in the disco era and have it in the 1970’s as 70’s themed Christmas party,” said Garman.
In this year’s show, Vivian and Bill have moved to a new house, and they use their annual Christmas Eve party to get to know the new neighbors including an uptight married couple, a pair of lounge singer “identical” sisters, a Disco-obsessed couple, the nosy head of the neighborhood watch, and a flamboyant bachelor.
As Vivian and Bill are getting to know their neighbors interesting things unfold and they wonder are these people who they say they are, or is one of them harboring an earth-shattering secret?
“This show has it all, including live performances of beloved holiday tunes, a hilarious script, zany characters, 1970s-inspired costumes and sets, an out-of-this-world secret, scandalous behavior, and more than a few surprises. If you think your family’s Christmas celebrations are hard to believe, wait until you meet this group,” said cast member Justin P. Kent.
The show will bring joy to the world with its characters and witty dialogue, and it is the casting and music that really shines in their shows.
“Rick is really good at pairing people together. He is also good with songs and character choices that every casting decision and pairing and song choice brings out everyone’s talents to their best,” said cast member Drew Hillis.
The talented cast includes Travis Cheek, Travis Harold Coles, Hannah Dodson, Drew Hillis, Justin P. Kent, Valerie America Lavelle, Gwen Leahy, Taylor Mercier, and celebrated drag performers Sallie Just Sallie and Treyla Trash.
The production features more than two-dozen holiday favorites sung live including “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “O Holy Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Silent Night,” “White Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Joy to the World,” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “The Christmas Song,” and many more.
“Rick has done a great job curating a production that has all of the music that you want to hear, that pulls the heartstrings for the traditional holidays but has also breathed new life into traditional tunes and give them a new spin in a way that you would not expect,” said cast member Travis Cheek.
If you love those songs, then you will enjoy the part in the show where there is an epic “Jingle Bell Battle” where the characters face off against each other with different versions of “Jingle Bells” from pop to rock to country to hip-hop to Disco and beyond. There will even be a disco version of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.
“We put all these shows together and we just have fun. If they’re not perfect, then they’re not perfect. The audiences still eat them up and we’re all having fun,” said Garman.
Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend and the production is intended for mature audiences. There will be three performances Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 16-18 at 7:30pm at Club One’s Bay Street Theatre. Visit SavannahCabaret.com
