A mock-up of the new sign for On-Stage LIVE! at the Luxe, a new professional live theater venturing coming to Greenwood later this year. Productions will feature professional live performers in themed shows, in addition to a variety of specialty acts and bands.
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The dream was dead.
Christopher Tompkins had envisioned bringing world-class musical theater entertainment to Greenwood, and had succeeded with the opening of Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel performances and close its doors in 2020, it seemed that opportunity was gone.
“It was the biggest loss of my life. It left such a hole in me. That was my baby,” Tompkins said.
Now, his vision has a chance to be reborn. Tomkins’ new venture, On-Stage LIVE! Entertainment, is coming back to Greenwood. Working with the owners of the Luxe Event Center, the venue that took over the former cabaret, he plans to bring monthly shows to the stage.
A grand opening is planned for May 6, with the hope to bring the first show to stage in June.
“I would have never believed, or even thought it would happen,” Tompkins said. “I’m beyond happy.”
Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret opened in a storefront space in Old Town Greenwood in 2018, with the idea was to provide a professional theater experience for audiences on the southside — something that didn’t exist at the time. Shortly after it opened, the company added its dinner theater experience.
Stage to Screen grew in popularity quickly, to the point where Tompkins started exploring moving into a larger space. Through the support of investors, that new theater opened on East Main Street in Greenwood in late 2019. The first shows included tributes to Motown and the best of Broadway, Big Band shows and solo cabaret nights.
But not even four months after opening, the pandemic forced the new theater to close down. Though Tompkins held out hope they’d be able to reopen, but in July 2020, it became clear this was the end.
“It was so hard. And it wasn’t because of the theater, it was because of the people. We celebrated together, birthdays and anniversaries. We laughed together, we cried together,” Tompkins said.
The experience of seeing the business close shook Tompkins, and he avoided the entertainment industry for years. But as someone who had spent most of his life working in show business, he could not stay away. He formed On-Stage Live! in late 2022 with a group of performers and friends he had worked with in the past, creating it as a nonprofit and starting the necessary paperwork to get the 501(c)3 status.
They also began preparing their first show — a tribute to Barbara Streisand.
“A Tribute to Barbara” ran from Feb. 3 to 5 at the District Theatre in downtown Indianapolis. The experience was overwhelmingly positive, Tompkins said.
“It got great reviews. People loved it,” he said. “I was stunned by the response. I was very emotional; I cried every time because I couldn’t believe we were back.”
Shortly after, the owners of the Luxe Event Center reached out to him about bringing shows back to the venue. The two sides met, and after lengthy discussions, they agreed to partner for a series of live performances starting later this year.
The idea was to bring bring professional live theatre as well as a variety of specialty acts and bands to the venue, bolstering the local entertainment scene.
One of the first points of discuss was what to call the new venture.
“At the end of the day, while I love the Cabaret and that sign and its marquee, it’s dead. It’s gone,” Tompkins said. “I agreed to do it, if we co-brand it.”
The two sides decided on a name — On-Stage LIVE! at the Luxe.
“We’re all in alignment, so the old Cabaret sign is coming down and the new signage will be up in May,” Tomkins said.
To accompany the installation of the new sign, organizers have planned a special grand opening ceremony. In addition to a ribbon cutting, they’ve put together a teaser performance featuring some of the music from “A Tribute to Barbara.”
The first big show will come in June, though its theme is still to be announced, Tompkins said.
“We’re changing it up. We’re not doing larger production-style shows this time around, we’re keeping it to three- to five-person cast. And we’re doing it more like a concert production style,” he said. “It’s really like going to a concert.”
A new show will be staged each month, with exact dates forthcoming. Tompkins hopes to do a tribute to Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Cheryl Lynn and Regina Belle, and has plans for a holidays show. Other potential themes include tributes to Judy Garland and to Broadway.
Since announcing the new development on Facebook in March, Tompkins has heard from a number of former patrons and supporters excited to see live shows return.
“The response has been incredible. I’m very touched about that part of it,” he said.
