The celebrity impressions will be flying thick and fast at Christine Pedi’s New York City holiday cabaret show Snow Bizness, December 5 and 12 at Feinstein’s/54 Below supper club.
Pedi, a staple of the satirical Forbidden Broadway and Newsical the Musical revues, will adapt her incarnations of Barbra Streisand, Patti LuPone, Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing, and other favorite divas for her special holiday-themed musical show.
Pedi told Playbill that she has created a new twist on a favorite part of the show, “The 12 Divas of Christmas”: “Instead of doing the same 12 ladies every night (I knew that would become rather boring and predictable for me) I have the audience pick names out of a hat (which has way more than 12 names in it). So on any given night even I’m surprised who will come up next. It takes quick reflexes on the part of my amazing pianist Matthew Martin Ward (who’s been with the show for all of its ten years). He needs to come up with the proper accompaniment with just the name of the diva. I know people think I’m funny when I do these impressions but they really don’t realize how much of the comedy comes from the musical references Matthew makes. He really enriches the whole experience. Creating this show with him as been a joy.”
Pedi says she uses Feinstein’s/54 Below as her living room. ”I live in a tiny New York City studio apartment so I can never have a proper holiday gathering to entertain. I really feel that this show is my way of throwing a party and celebrating with my friends and family, old and new. It has become a holiday tradition for so many. I try to change it up a bit every year with a new novelty song or different take on a classic holiday standard. Of course there are lots of impressions and celebrity carols featuring odd combinations of divas and Christmas songs. Judy Garland’s [Hawaiian carol] ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ is a good example. Liza singing ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ is a particular favorite of mine. I think the strength of the show is that people get to laugh and laugh but there’s still plenty of warm and traditional songs of the season.”
Feinstein’s/54 Below is located at 254 West 54th Street, beneath Studio 54, in Manhattan. Tickets, which cost $35 to $75 (plus a $25 food/drink minimum), can be ordered here. Tickets after 4 PM on the day of performance are available only by calling (646) 476-3551.
Pedi has been a special guest performer on Playbill’s Broadway on the High Seas cruises. Tickets are now on sale for Playbill’s Broadway on the High Seas July 2018 cruise to Iceland, accompanied by Judy Kuhn, Christine Ebersole, Rob McClure, Jarrod Spector, Carmen Cusack, and Sierra Boggess.
Visit PlaybillTravel.com for booking and information.
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