Interview: Eduardo Guzman of Pitch Me This Productions Invites One and All to PMT POP UP: HOLIDAY CABARET

In the spirit of the holiday season, Pitch Me This Productions is excitedly preparing their PMT Pop Up: Holiday Cabaret for their one-night-only December 16th performance. Their 3rd annual holiday music spectacular, this concert offers Pay What You Can tickets, classic holiday family-friendly music, and a chance to step away from the hustle of our lives to connect with friends and family. I spoke with Pitch Me This's Founding Artistic Director, Eduardo Guzman, for all the details you need to attend this heartwarming holiday event.

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BroadwayWorld: Could you explain the PMT Pop Up: Cabaret Series for those who do not yet know about it? What is distinct about this series?

Eduardo Guzman: Cabaret Series is a concert series that runs throughout our regular PMT and PMT YAS! season. Each Pop Up is centered around a theme--in the past, we've done 70s, 80s, 90s, Disney, Country-and covers Top 40 music from that genre. These shows are held at local bars around town, including Guava Lamp, Big Top Lounge, Alley Kat Bar & Lounge, and The Continental Club.

Cabaret-style shows are what we do best. Our signature performance event, Midtown Live, is in this style. In 2015, when we first launched this series, I had my eye on the cabaret scene in New York and Chicago and thought that we needed something similar in the Houston fringe scene. This series is an effort to engage with new audiences in a comfortable environment with familiar music.

What audiences would enjoy this holiday cabaret most?

Eduardo Guzman: It's a Holiday show! Anyone who enjoys family-friendly Holiday music will enjoy this show! We use the "Pay What You Can" model for our Pop Ups. We recognize that for some people $10 is a lot of money, while for some $50 is a small amount of money. We can meet somewhere in the middle. We don't want cost to be a barrier to an enjoyable evening of live performance.

What inspired Pitch Me This Productions to produce a holiday event as part of their Pop Up series?

Eduardo Guzman: Inspired by the "54 Below" Cabaret scene, we wanted to create a similar performance series here in Houston. In 2015, we launched the Pop Up Series with a Holiday Cabaret at Tarakaan Bar & Lounge in Midtown.

How does PMT select the various singers that will be performing? Will we be seeing any familiar faces?

Eduardo Guzman: We select our Pop Up casts by reaching out to friends of PMT, former cast members and other PMT performers, and singers who have expressed an interest in performing in a cabaret environment. If you are interested in being considered for a PMT Pop Up, please reach out to us by visiting pitchmethis.com/contact.

The cast of PMT Pop Up: Holiday Cabaret includes Brennan Ashley, Daniel Edwards, Betty Le, Meagan Isaacks, Bethany LaRue, Nikki Moss, Shannon Nichols, Vernon Rose, Sophia Saenz, Lauren Salazar, Jeff Stallings, Taelon Stonecipher, Liz Tinder, and Monique VonDeylen. Jonathan Teverbaugh will guide us through the concert as the Holiday Cabaret Emcee.

This is the 3rd annual Holiday Concert produced by Pitch Me This. Having produced this concert event before, what are you most excited for this time around?

Eduardo Guzman: For me, the Holiday Cabaret is the one I most looked forward to every year. The show is well attended by the community, and the content is always uplifting and nostalgic.

In a season that is often over-scheduled, I welcome to opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues as we prepare this show.

Pitch Me This Productions will be presenting the PMT Pop Up: Holiday Cabaret for one-night-only on December 16th, 2018 at 8:00 pm at The Continental Club in Midtown. Tickets are available at pitchmethis.com through Ticketleap, and Pay What You Can tickets will be available.

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