We women often find ourselves overwhelmed at this time of year—we shop for gifts, organize parties, bake cookies, help write letters to Santa, mail Christmas cards, and prepare a Christmas feast. Oh, yeah, we also go to work, pick up kids from school, clean the house, and more.
Those women who are feeling overwhelmed should find a couple of hours for themselves and Omaha Community Playhouse is showing a fantastic cabaret show, titled “Girls Like Us: A Little Naughty, Mostly Nice,” now tfhrough Dec. 22, in the Howard Drew Theater.
Of course, as the show itself mentions, “even when they get the chance to make some cocoa and watch a movie, women are often thinking about that last gift that needs to be bought, the cookies that need to be baked, and the cards that need to go in the mail.”
But, theater-lovers in Omaha should forget about all that for a couple of hours, and many are. On a Wednesday night, the crowd in attendance was chiefly made up of women, who came to watch the talented Chicago-based singers Laura Freeman and Marianne Murphy Orland, along with singer and pianist Beckie Menzie. The ladies are accompanied by locals Vince Krysl on drums and Michael Frederickson on bass, and they sing a variety of beloved Christmas songs with some devilish wit, along with a couple of non-Christmas songs.
The tune “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” for example, highlights everything that happens, particularly to women, as the lyrics change to “It’s the Most Expensive Time of the Year.” “Gloria” is performed as a silly homage to the fact that few people understands the Latin words in the song. My favorite, however, was Petula Clark’s “Downtown,” in which Murphy Orland highlighted parts of Omaha in the lyrics.
The event felt magical, with a backdrop of sheer fabric lit from behind with multiple lights, a Christmas tree in a corner, and the ladies in sparkly outfits. This nicely performed show was presented in two acts and lasted around two hours—ending with that naughtiest of Christmas songs, “Santa Baby.”
Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. You can purchase tickets online by visiting omahaplayhouse.com or via the Omaha Community Playhouse box office by calling 402-553-0800.
