If Chris Tsujiuchi could have his way, his big, gay Christmas cabaret would be even bigger and gayer.
“The first thing, I would be flown in wearing a giant pair of glitter Victoria’s Secret angel wings. I would be flown in over the audience,” the musical theatre sensation says. “India Arie would make a guest appearance, Jann Arden would make an appearance, Michael Bublé would make an appearance, and Beyoncé. They would basically be my four backup singers.”
Tsujiuchi’s fourth installment of A Very Chris-terical Christmas Cabaret may not see him in a riffing competition with one of Destiny’s children, but the lineup of more than 20 guest performers, featuring the best of the best of local musical-theatre talent, is the Toronto equivalent of a star-studded holiday special. The two-night run, which will fill the cabaret space at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre with Yuletide cheer, belies the show’s humble beginnings, when Tsujiuchi was finishing up his final year in the Sheridan College musical-theatre program. “The first year was at Bread & Circus, and 11 people came . . . it’s snowballed.”
There will be plenty to sing along to at the cabaret, though Tsujiuchi’s favourite song to perform may not be a Christmas standard, exactly: “‘Dick in a Box.’ Think about it — it is a Christmas song.”
Christmas at Buddies continues a week after Tsujiuchi’s cabaret with the launch party for Kids on TV’s new album, Pantheon, at the DFMO party, with DJs John Caffery and The Robotic Kid. That same weekend is Sharron and George’s Super Fun Christmas Sing-A-Long, an evening of carols and cookies that brings together cabaret powerhouse Sharron Matthews and musical star George Masswohl.
A Very Chris-terical Christmas Cabaret 2013: The 4th Cumming is Sat, Dec 14 & Sun, Dec 15, 8pm. DFMO is Fri, Dec 20, 10:30pm. Sharron & George’s Super Fun Christmas Sing-A-Long is Sat, Dec 21, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com
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