For anyone looking to do something different, and maybe a little naughty, for Christmas, Tampa Bay theaters have just the thing. It’s called Christmas Cabaret, and there are several shows to choose from this holiday season. So get out your calendars and get spicy this December.
This year’s Christmas Cabaret season starts at Studio Grand Central Dec. 3 with Ha Ha Holiday Comedy & Cabaret. Local actor/singer/standup comedian Ward Smith hosts this fundraiser for the Off-Central Players, featuring performances by stand-up comedians Sheena Reagan, Mike Rivera, Anthony Gervais, and Sydney Reddish. studiograndcentral.com/tickets/ola/services/ha-ha-holiday-comedy-cabaret
Next, head to The Studio@620 Dec. 9-10 for Dirty John’s Mistlestoned, a cannabis-inspired cabaret promising lots of baudy vaudeville humor.
The following Thursday, Dec. 15, The Studio@620 hosts Cannonball Cabaret’s Santa’s Naughty List. This Christmas cabaret is a fundraiser for CASA Pinellas, a charitable organization that provides essential services to local survivors of domestic abuse.
Finally, don’t forget about freeFall’s The Night Before, newly updated this year, and running through Christmas Eve. This comical Christmas musical, by Matthew McGee and Michael Raabe, takes its inspiration from classic holiday TV specials.
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2022.