FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media contacts: Chris Spielberger 408-438-7446 chris@tabardtheatre.org

The Tabard Theatre Company at Theatre on San Pedro Square Presents

BIG BAND CHRISTMAS SURPRISE!

A novel celebration of the holidays, opening November 30th

SAN JOSE, Calif. (November 13, 2012) – The

Tabard Theatre Company gets in the mood for

the holidays with BIG BAND CHRISTMAS SURPRISE!, a delightfully different approach to

holiday songs. Thirteen performances will be

offered November 30 through December 16 at

Theatre on San Pedro Square in downtown

San Jose.

All of the songs in BIG BAND CHRISTMAS

SURPRISE! will be given the smooth, swinging

Big Band treatment by San Jose’s premier jazz ensemble Nineteen, under the

direction of Gus Kambeitz. The halls will be decked with unique arrangements of

holiday standards and favorites, including an unforgettable The Little Drummer

Boy done in a very different, very modern cool jazz style.

Each of the production’s 13 shows features

a different group of singers in their own

snazzy attire performing a distinct

repertoire, as well as a series of surprise

celebrity guests who will share a seasonal

tale, poem, or memory. Patrons could attend the entire run and experience a

different BIG BAND CHRISTMAS SURPRISE! every time. Singers will include

favorites from previous Tabard musical productions who will bring their own flair

to the festivities. Celebrity guests have been invited from many walks of Silicon

Valley life—politics, business, media, sports and the arts – to share a holiday

moment.

“With BIG BAND CHRISTMAS SURPRISE!,” said Tabard’s founder and

executive director, Cathy Spielberger Cassetta, “we continue our season theme,

TRUE Lives: Stories and Songs of Real People. We have a superb live band and

singers, plus a bevy of local celebrities to put their personal touch on each

performance.”

For every production, Tabard donates a portion of its concessions proceeds to a

local nonprofit. The designated nonprofit for BIG BAND CHRISTMAS

SURPRISE! is St. Paul’s UMC Food Closet. Patrons also are encouraged to

bring with them donations of non-perishable food, blankets, and coats.

BIG BAND CHRISTMAS SURPRISE! will run November 30 through December

16 at the unique, cabaret-style Theatre on San Pedro Square, 29 North San

Pedro Street in downtown San Jose. All evening performances are at 8pm;

Saturday matinees at 3, Sunday matinees at 2. Tickets are available at

www.tabardtheatre.org, tickets@tabardtheatre.org, or by calling 800-838-3006.

Cabaret Seating $35; Adults $29; Seniors $27; Adult Students $15; Youth/Kids

$10. Advance purchase is strongly recommended.

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Supported, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose and a

Regional Arts Fund grant from Arts Council Silicon Valley.

Founded in 2001, The Tabard Theatre Company is the managing and resident theatre company of Theatre on San Pedro Square, with administrative offices in South San Jose. Tabard is committed to making a difference in the community through the arts by presenting professional-quality shows that are suitable and appropriate for audiences of all ages. Tabard actors, stage crew, and staff of all ages come from throughout the Bay Area as well as San Jose. The company is also committed to making theatre affordable and accessible for all, a goal it meets through its various outreach programs. Additionally, Tabard donates a portion of its concession proceeds to nonprofit organizations that are thematically related to the shows and often includes food or clothing drives during its productions. Tabard produces five mainstage productions each season. For its 12th season, Tabard celebrates the theme “TRUE Lives: Stories & Songs of Real People.” Coming later this season: LOOKING OVER THE PRESIDENT’S SHOULDER (February 1–17), and BABES IN HOLLYWOOD (April 12–May 5). Also included: a limited engagement of I LEFT MY HEART (January 18–27), a salute to the music of Tony Bennett. —Encounters with greatness. Tabard. For more information about performances visit http://www.tabardtheatre.org.