Cast members of “Holiday Magic,” from left, Eric DeForest, Mary Sylce, Jennifer Richins, Paul Parnell, Laura Krell and Paige Lundy, rehearse for the show, which is showing Dec. 8, 9 and 15 at On Stage Live! at the Luxe in Greenwood.
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Decorated trees, shiny wrapped gifts, the opportunity to gather with friends and family — people anticipate the holidays for all kinds of reasons.
But few stand out as much as the music of Christmas.
Traditional carols and modern hits fill the air in shops, on the radio and in our homes. Classics like “White Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” are hard to resist singing along to.
The talented cast and crew at On Stage Live! at the Luxe capture the joy of the season in their newest show, “Holiday Magic.” Audiences can enjoy a blend of Christmas classics and new compositions to put people in a festive mood.
“I think people are going to leave with a really good feeling,” Paul Parnell said. “It will get them ready for the season, and I hope they have some feelings of settlement — that things aren’t always going to be the way we want them to be at the holidays, but this is a time when we can reflect and draw together.”
“Holiday Magic” is the year’s final show at On Stage Live! at the Luxe, which has brought cabaret-style musical theater to Greenwood since opening its doors earlier this year. The productions are a partnership between founder Christopher Tompkins and owners of the Luxe Event Center. The venture grew out of Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret, Tompkins’ former effort to bring professional theater experiences to southside audiences.
Though Stage to Screen was forced to close due to the pandemic in 2020, Tompkins’ dream was reborn in early 2023 with On Stage Live! Previous shows have focused on Elvis Presley and other musical legends such as Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand.
In October, the theater’s “Witches BREW” production sold out multiple nights with its blend of Halloween-themed songs and spooky singing.
With “Holiday Magic,” Parnell wanted to capture his own feelings of Christmas in Indianapolis.
“I’m a big lover of Christmas. I think it’s a magical time for everybody and anybody in some way or the other,” he said. “So I drew from my own memories as a child and things I enjoy experiencing.”
Parnell had worked with Tompkins on productions in Las Vegas, and Tompkins asked his friend to create a holiday-centric show for On Stage Live!
He told Parnell that his hope was to make a production different than anything else audiences would find in the area. Parnell wrote an entire show, including writing an original opening song, to present.
“I handed everybody a copy of the script and said, ‘Okay, here’s the opening song …’ and they all thought it was phenomenal. They all wanted to do it,” he said. “Then of course, I had to go home and write more music.”
The original songs take audiences through some of the area’s most beloved holiday traditions, from seeing the lights on the Soldiers & Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis to walking through the Carmel Christkindlmarkt.
“The finale will have people crying, it’s such a powerful message,” Tompkins said.
Eric DeForest was one of the cast members in “Witches BREW,” playing a werewolf. The classically trained singer had not done musical theater for years before being cast in the show, though he had served as production manager for On Stage Live! The more he started assembling the music and dancing behind “Witches BREW,” he started to see how much fun it would be to be involved with.
The experience was so rewarding he wanted to come back for “Holiday Magic.”
“It’s been really fun to learn these great new songs by Paul and creating a story from beginning to end with all kinds of sparkly costumes and some very talented singers,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
Woven into Parnell’s composition are timeless classic songs, such as “Santa Baby,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
“There will be a sing-along involved. It’s just going to be great family fun for everybody,” DeForest said.
Performing Parnell’s music has been a joy, DeForest said.
“They’re really fun. Some are upbeat and fun, all about Indiana. Others are very poignant and heartfelt. There’s some very interesting storytelling going on there,” he said. “And of course there are some favorites in there.”
One of the lessons Parnell learned years ago about songwriting was that, to have a successful show of any kind, people have to leave singing or humming one of the songs.
“So that’s my goal. I hope they leave singing one of these new songs — that it’s stuck in their heads, and they love it,” he said.
IF YOU GO
“Holiday Magic”
What: A festive holiday-themed musical production featuring classic carols and songs as well as original music.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15. The show is sold out on Dec. 16.
Where: On Stage Live! at the Luxe, 916 E. Main St., Greenwood
Tickets: $25 general admission, $15 for ages 6 to 15
Information and purchasing: onstageliveattheluxe.com
