Interview: Chrissy & Dan Pardo Team Up in a Solo Debut at Chelsea Table + Stage

Since 2022, Music Director Dan Pardo and his wife Chrissy have had a weekly residency at the Edison Hotel. Now, for the first time, they are doing a cabaret together on March 31, 2025 at Chelsea Table + Stage. In Dreams Don't Come True in Pennsylvania, New York's next Power Couple, Dan and Chrissy Pardo, celebrate the artists, songs, and stories from their native Greater Philly area to ask "are you willing to leave a place you love to pursue a dream that may not come true?" After performing together in multiple musical projects, including John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (for Netflix), Chrissy and Dan are excited to share their first ever solo cabaret in NYC—for two! Under the skillful direction of MAC and Bistro Award Winner James Beaman, they will not only dazzle you with powerful vocals and athletic piano chops; they will imbue you with a sense of a pride, humor, and nostalgia for a place that doesn't often get a second look—even after winning the damn Super Bowl!

Read a conversation with Chrissy and Dan about the show.

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What are you most looking forward to about Dreams Don’t Come True in Pennsylvania?

DP: I'm looking forward to the audience getting to know Chrissy a little bit. She's an incredible talent, but she's also pretty introverted.

CP: I'm most excited about singing some of my favorite songs by my favorite artists, with some of my favorite people in the audience.

How does it feel to be putting together your first solo show together after your weekly residency at the Edison Hotel?

DP: It's thrilling! I've played and served as music director for dozens of cabarets before, but never with Chrissy, and never with this much creative control. I love being able to craft something specific, and with a point of view. People who have swung through the Edison on a Friday or have stopped by at my various piano bar shifts have then mentioned "coming to my show," which I find hilarious. In those instances, I just play whatever I feel like at a given moment, or respond to audience requests. This is much different.

CP: As Dan said, it feels exciting to do something so intentional. At the same time, it's not without its stresses, mostly because we both work full-time, on opposite schedules. Most of the prep has been done apart, and we text each other with ideas throughout the day.

Where did the idea come from to put together a show about the Pennsylvania area?

CP: For a while, we were toying around with a show called My Special Skills: Or Things I Lied About on My Resume, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized the joke would have run its course after about 10 minutes. So, I started to think about how we came to New York, why we're still in New York, with all its hardships, and what stories we'd like to share. Both Dan and I grew up in Southeast Pennsylvania, which we have a great sense of pride in, but also felt limited by it. Not only did the area foster our artistic growth, but it was also a hotbed of talent for others, which you'll find more about in the show.

Can you walk us through the music direction choices you made for one of the songs you'll be singing at the concert?

DP: I love leading the audience somewhere and then going somewhere else. I remember when we got married, Chrissy told the DJ that her one request was to "rickroll" us during the reception. You won't hear any Rick Astley, but we've put in a few surprises that I hope elicit a similar response.

What was the process like of putting together the setlist for this show?

DP: First, we brainstormed as many relevant songs as we could, and made a list: Songs about Pennsylvania, songs by artists from Pennsylvania, songs from musicals set in the area, or ones by artists who were inspired by the region. Then we went down the list and determined which songs we could logically use to tell our story. This, of course, was done in collaboration with our wonderful director, Jamie Beaman.

What have you been listening to lately?

CP: A lot of Sabrina Carpenter, who is from Quakertown, Penn., 20 minutes from where I grew up! Unfortunately, her music is a little racy, and we have some family and friends watching the livestream with their children.

DP: Podcasts, mostly. Chrissy often has to remind me that I'm, in fact, a musician.

What's coming up next for you?

DP: I have a couple readings of new shows, and some educational theatre. Otherwise, my normal shifts at Townhouse and Stonewall, and of course our weekly Edison Residency.

CP: I'm performing in a musical adaptation of the classic Chinese tale of The Monkey King written by my friends Kimbirdlee and Jonathan Fadner at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach, Florida on May 3rd.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

DP: Thanks for reading! We think anyone from Pennsylvania, or another seemingly inconsequential state will watch the show and realize that these small places are much bigger than they had initially thought. Go Birds!

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Learn more about Dan Pardo online at www.danpardo.com. Learn more about Chrissy Pardo at www.chrissypardo.com

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