Rachel Delduca and Eva Petris are the versatile duo behind Christmas Clichés: A Sisterly Cabaret. The production, which debuted in December 2023, is a harmonious blend of timeless Christmas classics with a touching narrative exploring family dynamics and the essence of the holiday spirit.
Before we start, two important caveats:
Caveat #1: We know that it’s May, not December. But the duo behind this show is fascinating. And their collaborative journey to create a show that they hope will have long legs is worth writing about at any time of the year — not to mention putting in calendars early on.
Caveat #2: Despite the show’s name, Delduca and Petris are not sisters – at least not in a biological sense. They leave it to audiences to discover the show’s “sisterly” essence, and in the meantime, the two are a collective who jointly participated in this interview about their show.
Delduca and Petris are multidisciplinary artists and friends who have performed across Canada. In Delduca’s words, Christmas Clichés is an artistic venture to feed their “creative beast,” as they seek to navigate the unpredictable tides of show business with determination and grace. Their process was a “true collaboration” where they each brought their unique talents and created a show that is, in the end, more than a cabaret: “It’s got so much heart, some big laughs, and it tells a story that really inspires.”
In December 22, 2023, Delduca, who is well-known for her portrayal of Delores in the hit Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, debuted this holiday cabaret with close friend and collaborator Petris. With live accompaniment by Roberto Ercoli (piano), Spencer Robson (drums) and
Justin Bath (bass) and featuring Christmas classics like “White Christmas”, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the cabaret explores the power of family, forgiveness and rediscovering the joy of Christmas and attempts to answer the age-old question: will differences tear them apart, or will the spirit of Christmas bring them closer together?
Though on stage for only one performance, it marked a vibrant new chapter in Petris and Delduca’s careers.
Delduca reflects on her personal and professional life with poignant sincerity: “Certain truths anchor my life: my daughter holds the highest place in my heart – and my soul feels the most alive and free when I’m performing. Balancing motherhood with my artistic journey has been an adventure.” Her career, which blossomed from the decks of the Disney Cruise Line as Cinderella in Twice Charmed, to standout roles on stage, is the journey from a shy child with a “big imagination” to a performer who found her voice on the stage and “never looked back”. She has performed in shows like Early August, Legally Blonde, Anne & Gilbert: The Musical, and Little Women; and her artistic path has been lit by her passion for storytelling and creative expression, and a heartfelt mission to infuse the world with love. In 2023, she was part of the original cast of Eclipse Theatre’s The Man with the Golden Heart, a new musical that proved a smash hit with audiences of last year’s Toronto Fringe Festival. When not on stage, she is singing for her daughter Eloise and her husband Roberto Ercoli.
Petris has also graced numerous stages with her versatile acting and singing. Her performances run the gamut of styles and shows. She was in the original cast of Mythic: An Immortal Rock Musical at the Segal Centre in Montreal. She portrayed Nerva in Fatal Charade, had the title role in Captain Aurora: A Superhero Musical; and played Val in A Chorus Line: In Concert. And she has played roles in Divine Intervention, A Grand Night for Singing, and the classic musicals Godspell and Matilda.
Petris’ inspiration springs from her deep-rooted love for the Golden Age of musicals. “The first movies I remember watching were Singing in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz…The pure joy, charm, and romance the Golden Age exudes have always provided me with so much happiness. How could I not want to share something like that with as many people as I can?” From her early days absorbing these classics to her diverse stage roles, it has been Petris’ personal mission to bring some of the idyllic qualities of the Golden Age musical into our chaotic world.
Which brings us to the inception of Christmas Clichés: A Sisterly Cabaret, which began with a conversation: “One sunny summer day, Rachel turned to me…and asked if I wanted to put together a Christmas Show with her.” This modest kernel of an idea quickly ballooned into deep discussion and then a comprehensive production process that involved everything from story creation and music arrangement to venue scouting. Delduca’s leadership in production, coupled with invaluable advice from friends, turned the duo’s vision into a “glitzy stage production we were so incredibly proud of.”
The selection of music was a particularly deliberate and loving process. “We both share a love of the classics and Christmas, so this was a perfect fit,” Delduca explains. They had two objectives for the songs: they should resonate with their holiday memories and enrich the cabaret’s narrative. Petris highlights the role of Delduca’s husband, whose musical genius was pivotal in bringing their vision to life through “incredible arrangements and mashups.”
In their journey to create and mount Christmas Clichés, Delduca and Petris faced and overcame a succession of challenges with collaboration, flexibility, and mutual support. When they performed the show in a “first stumble-through” for invited audiences in the dining room of Delduca’s mother-in-law, they saw that they were on the right track, and gained inspiring ideas for taking the show to the next level. And throughout this process, Delduca was living a personal balancing act of. “It’s so important, especially for a mother, to feel fulfilled doing whatever her passions are,” she shares, reflecting on her experience. “I want my daughter to grow up seeing a mother who adores her above all else and still embraces her creative spirit and shares her magic with the world.
The debut of Christmas Clichés: A Sisterly Cabaret at Toronto’s El Mocambo was met with a decidedly positive response. The duo recount touching feedback from audience members, including stories of reconciliation and newfound joy in the holiday season, despite personal and global hardships. “You don’t know if people will connect to it or laugh at the jokes you’ve written. It’s a very vulnerable experience to put your work out there in this way,” they admit. And when all the pieces come together, and the audience gasps and laughs where you hope they do and you take your bow… Well, there’s nothing like it. It was truly remarkable witnessing the profound impact our show had,” they reflect, moved anew by the emotional resonance their creation had for many.
Looking to the future, these sort-of sisters harbour grand aspirations for Christmas Clichés: A Sisterly Cabaret. They regard the show as “timeless”, so “We have big hopes for Christmas Clichés!” They dream of seeing the show become a cherished holiday tradition, and they hope to collaborate with regional theatres across the GTA, where there is a potential for a longer run. “These songs have already stood the test of time, and everyone can relate to the challenges our characters go through,” they explain. Christmas Clichés is “oozing with small-town charm. During the holidays, we love to find ways to feel the Christmas Spirit and magic we felt as kids – that warm and cozy feeling that can bring a tear to your eye.”
As summer approaches and Delduca and Petris look forward to re-mounting and expanding the reach of their holiday spectacle next Christmas, their journey gives the year-round gift of inspiration. We’re excited to hear more soon from this creative “sisterly” duo!
© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2024
