Photo Flash: THE DORIS DEAR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL at The Triad Theater

The acclaimed drag queen, 2 time MAC Award winner singer and BroadwayWorld.com nominee, Doris Dear, packed houses uptown at The Triad Theater on December 19, 20 and 21st for the fourth year in a row with her "Doris Dear Christmas Special"! The show has quickly become a holiday tradition in NYC and this year, the level of guests that dropped into the "Rumpus Room" was "simply amazing!", as was exclaimed by audience members. Each year Doris Dear fills her "Rumpus Room" with friends and shares stories, traditions and songs of the season. From new takes on holiday classic songs to exciting original compositions, this show brought smiles, laughter and cheers! This year a brand new holiday song written and sung by award winning composer and singer Patrick DeGennaro, "I Know It's Christmas" was greeted with rousing cheers and chants of "record it now!" Doris has also had the award-winning girl group "Those Girls", director and award winning singer Lina Koutrakos, award winning recording artist and world renown guitarist Sean Harkness, along with, bass player Steve Count, and singer and conga player Ari Axelrod! Doris Dear is known for her comedy and storytelling along with her amazing vocal stylings. The packed houses were full of celebrities and people came from far and wide to be a part of this holiday celebration. New York Housewife and entrepreneur Heather Thompson dropped in as well as author Petra Kolber, CEO and Founder Downtown Media & Production Inc Grace Capobianco, actor Rit Weaver and family, former president of CBS News and The Food Network Eric Ober, and a large group who flew in from Scotland to show Doris Dear some love!

Doris told stories of growing up in Staten Island with her parents, Taffy & Duke and her sister Nancy. Her banter with the audience is always fun and "clean". This is truly a family affair, with many children in the audience this year, including her nephews Connor and Cooper who wore fake moustaches to prove they were old enough to attend! Doris Dear's husband, Jim, was seen "hosting" the room each night in colorful Christmas suits while muscle hunks David Santiago and Nick Appice sold pins to raise money for The Alzheimer's Association. The evening on Saturday night was topped off by surprise guest, Lisa Yaeger, who came up on stage and sang an amazing duet of "Happy days/Get Happy" with Doris. The audience leaped to their feet and gave a standing ovation. Afterwards the party continued over at Café Luxembourg where Doris lead the room in songs of the season and celebrated all the holidays with her new friend Elizabeth "Lizzie" Moss and mom, Linda Moss, who was overheard discussing being in Doris Dear's show next year. "Lizzie's" mom is a blues harmonica player and Doris is excited to add this great talent to the show! Fingers crossed!!!

Once again Doris Dear raised funds through "The Longest Day" initiative with The Alzheimer's Association through sales of her custom-made enamel pins and cookies. The show is always holiday extravaganza, so mark your calendars for the 2020 edition where Doris salutes the past 20 decades of holiday music with her friends. Grab a whiskey sour, light the yule log, and pull up a seat, we will see you next year!

The character of Doris Dear was created 4 years ago, inspired by her mother, Taffy, who passed away from Alzheimer's.

The show is written and performed by 2-time MAC Award winner, Dramatist Guild member and SAG/AFTRA National LGBT Board Member Ray DeForest. The shows are inspired by the great musical TV specials that were the standard of TV watching in the 50's, 60's and 70's!

Doris Dear, the inner Housewife of Ray DeForest, has been featured in movies (Men in Black 3, The Normal Heart) and TV shows (The Carrie Diaries, Boardwalk Empire) and has toured with "her" successful show "Doris Dear's Gurl Talk". Ray has been performing professionally for 42 years around the world in tours, stage shows, revues and hosted multiple TV shows on major networks. Ray is currently collaborating and developing a new Broadway musical and TV show!

Doris Dear and Lisa Yaeger

Doris Dear, Elizabeth "Lizzie" and Linda Moss, Heather Thompson, Aimee Newman and Scotish Stowmass

 

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