Winter Rhythms 2025: Reviews Are in for Friday, December 12 -

Urban Stages Winter Rhythms 2025: the 17th annual award-winning series for the benefit of Urban Stages’ Outreach Programs, running from Wednesday, December 3 through Sunday, December 14, 2025

Coming up: the wrap of the final two days, Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14. Meanwhile, here are comments about day ten: Friday, December 12.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 at 7:00 PM: Ruby Rims in Christmas is a Drag!

Legendary drag queen Ruby Rims sang from the heart in a rare appearance on stage in a theater setting. Rims reminisced about her early days in New York, the impact theater had on her life, her breakthrough as a drag queen who sings in her own voice, songwriters she met along the way, and supportive women in her inner circle. Song highlights, with stellar support from Music Director-pianist Henco Espag, included “I Got Love” from Rim’s “favorite show in the world,” the 1970 musical Purlie; the fun and funny audience sing-along “Joe-Ray-Lee,” set to the music of “Do-Re-Mi” from 1959’s The Sound of Music; and Tony Arata’s “The Dance,” which included the poignant lyric “I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.” Rims emanated love as she shared stories from her difficult, beautiful life. – By Kati Neiheisel, NiteLife Exchange for Sue Matsuki

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 at 9:00 PM: Taxi Cab Comedy Takes You Home for the Holidays

This fun, fast-moving sketch comedy show highlighted the awkward moments that invariably occur when one returns home for the holidays: a soldier returns home to his parents and brother after four years in a POW camp; a son returns home to find his grandmother has become a left-wing extremist; well-meaning parents tell their son the truth about Santa Claus with unexpected consequences; and more! The cast of Douglas Lisk, Marina Mulholland, Liam Doran, James Johnston, and Joanna Pinto, are committed, appealing and believable. The enjoyable hour flew by without a lull. Comedian-tour guide LizaBanks Campagna, proved a worthy warm-up act. – By Kati Neiheisel, NiteLife Exchange for Sue Matsuki

About Sue Matsuki 75 Articles

SUE MATSUKI is an award-winning singer and songwriter, producer, open mic host, educator, columnist and the author of So You Want to Sing Cabaret. She is a Bistro Award winner for Outstanding Collaboration with her Musical Director, Gregory Toroian; she is the very first recipient of the Julie Wilson Award given by the Mabel Mercer Foundation; and she is a multi-award-winning MAC Award winner (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) for Jazz Vocalist, Special Events, and Songwriter and has been nominated 11 times in 8 different categories. Matsuki is a Cabaret/Jazz singing veteran who has played every NYC Cabaret room including: Feinstein’s at the Regency, 54 Below, Town Hall, and several major Jazz Clubs including: the legendary Village Gate, Birdland, The Iridium and Sweet Rhythm. She’s even played Carnegie Hall and appeared in five seasons as a Diva Double at the Metropolitan Opera. She plays many theaters across the country and has appeared at Crazy Coqs in London. As an educator she has taught Cabaret and performance/business classes at: Mac-to-School, Cabaret Hotspot! Cabaret U, The Ridgefield Theater Barn, Peddie Town School (Town Heights, NJ), UCONN’s Osher’s Lifelong Learning Institute, the Vancouver School of Performing Arts and at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Matsuki is the Producer of the annual Urban Stages’ Winter Rhythms series, NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singers) NMTC National Musical Theater Competition as well as many other benefits and shows. Sue’s Views has been an on-going Cabaret advice column that has appeared in Cabaret Hotline On-Line, NiteLife Exchange and Cabaret Hotspot, It now lives on her website. Sue’s Muse comes back to the NiteLife Exchange family in May. For more information please visit: www.SueMatsuki.com