THE UGLY SEASONAL SWEATER SOIREE is Coming to The Arts Center at Iowa Western

The "Ugly Seasonal Sweater Soiree" Story will be presented on December 10 at The Arts Center at Iowa Western, Council Bluffs IA.

The Ugly Seasonal Sweater Soiree, written by Omaha locals Billy McGuigan and Kaitlyn Rudeen and directed by Jeremy Stoll, is a hilariously cheeky original holiday show celebrating all the treasured December traditions, music, and delightfully bad fashion that goes along with it.

Part concert, part comedy, and all-around festive fun, the show features a live band and cast of powerhouse vocalists taking audiences through the soundtrack of the season, from White Christmas and Jingle Bell Rock to cheeky surprises like Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer and You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. All of it is stitched together with outrageous holiday tales, quick wit, and, of course, the ugliest sweaters you can find. It's a joyful, laugh-out-loud night the whole family will love.

When Leigh Chandler from the Lone Tree Arts Center in Colorado reached out looking for a new holiday show, the creative team jumped at the opportunity to adapt the Academy project into a full-length theatrical production. To prepare for its Colorado premiere, they decided to mount a preview performance close to home landing on December 10 at The Arts Center at Iowa Western in Council Bluffs.

Then came an unexpected twist. About two months ago, before the script was even finalized, Sharlene O'Keefe from the Poway Center for the Arts in California called to say her holiday show had fallen through and asked if the McGuigan team had anything available.

The cast features Omaha performers Leanne Hill Carlson, Jay Srygley, Paul Hanson, and Allison Botkin, backed by Billy McGuigan's Rave On Band. Each performance also includes a youth ensemble of local students; Omaha-area kids for the Council Bluffs show, Colorado students for Lone Tree, and a combined group of both joining the cast in California.

"We've watched this show snowball, literally, into something much bigger than we imagined," McGuigan said. "It's a wonderful winter wonderland moment for all of us."

The creative team is now working with venues across the country to license the production for local performances and is planning a 2026 holiday tour spanning the Midwest, East Coast, and Florida, before wrapping back in Colorado.

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