Previews: BIG 'N' EASY at Palm Canyon Theatre

What started out as a series of fundraisers for Palm Canyon Theatre has now become one of the most in-demand tickets in the Coachella Valley. PCT has presented our favorite actors singing love songs, Christmas carols, and even songs written for the other gender, but for me the most exciting ones have been single performers who have stood center stage and given us an inside view of their personal and professional lives through songs and stories. These have been actors we have frequently seen on stage in roles, but in their cabaret performances they have stripped away the greasepaint and given us a glimpse into what makes them tick.

April 19, Palm Canyon Theatre will host one of the most anticipated cabaret performances of the season when Michael Pacas presents Big 'n' Easy. Michael arrived in the Valley about six years ago, and he hit the ground running. I first saw him in Noel Coward's Blythe Spirit as Charles, the epitome of an English gentleman whose composure is bombarded by the ghost of his deceased first wife. I was next aware of him directing a wonderful production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Since then he has headlined in productions including Hairspray (Edna), Sound of Music (Capt. Von Trapp), The Producers (Max Bialystock), Those Musclebound Cowboys of Snake Pit Gulch, Cyrano de Bergerac (Cyrano) and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (The entire D'Ysquith Family). He is in such demand as a leading man and a director that his 2023-24 season is already firmly in place.

In the meantime, his cabaret performance, Big 'n' Easy, promises to display enormous personality and booming vocals in a decadent evening of southern bawdiness and beads. The New Orleans native has concocted an evening of songs such as "Mr. Bojangles," "Moon Over Bourbon Street," and "The Tennessee Williams Blues," plus some stories which I suspect will have quite a few saucy moments.

The musical director for the evening will be Jaci Davis, who previously presented her own knockout cabaret. Michael will be joined by a very popular special guest who just might have co-starred with him in a recent stellar production.

Big 'n' Easy with Michael Pacas is a one-night-only performance on April 19 at 7 p.m., and the last of this season's cabarets. All tickets are $30. Group discounts are available. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or other information, call the PCT Box Office at (760) 323-5123 or order online at PalmCanyonTheatre.org. The Palm Canyon Theatre is located at 538 North Palm Canyon Drive, at the corner of Alejo Road and Palm Canyon Drive. Box Office hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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