Theater News

Christmas Past and Presents

Linda Eder, Kathy Najimy, Charles Busch, and Sebastian LaCause share their most vivid holiday memories.


Ah, what Christmas memories I have–caroling ’round the piano, sipping warm cider in front of a cozy fireplace, and watching my grandfather remove his teeth at the dinner table. Norman Rockwell would be stunned! Recently, I jingled a few notables and pried into their fa-la-la-la-lives to discover their own, precious holiday recollections.

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WHAT ARE YOUR MOST VIVID HOLIDAY MEMORIES?

Linda Eder
(New CD, Christmas Stays The Same)

“When I was growing up, we lived way out in the country in Anoka, Minnesota. My brother and I wanted desperately to be Christmas carolers, but the nearest neighbors were pretty far away…so we went out and sang to my mother just outside of her window! I do feel like this coming Christmas is going to be the most memorable one of my life because of my 15-month-old son Jake. I never knew what I was missing until I started to see the world through his eyes. He’s so into Christmas already; just getting the tree and decorating it with him was so fun. He was stunned!”

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Kathy Najimy
(Starring in Dirty Blonde as of January 22)

“The coolest Christmas memory I can think of took place during my first year living in New York City. My mom, who lived in San Diego, was totally bummed that I was so far away from home, so I pawned a bracelet and bought a plane ticket without telling her. When I got there, I called her from my cell phone to say, ‘Merry Christmas. I wish I was with you!’ She passed the phone around to the whole family, then got back on the phone to say goodbye. There was a knock at her back door, and it was me with my cell phone! She cried–in Arabic. That’s it!”

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Charles Busch
(Playwright, The Tale Of The Allergist’s Wife)

“My most memorable Christmas was a few years ago, when all of the women in my family went hysterical at the same time and gave me at least 40-minutes of material for The Tale Of The Allergist’s Wife.”

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Sebastian LaCause
(Rocky in The Rocky Horror Show)

“I remember a Christmas when I was about five years old and my family didn’t have a whole lot of money. We had a little two-foot Christmas tree sitting on a table or a dresser or some kind of organza. Oh wait, I mean credenza! My big gift underneath the tree was a Sesame Street house that opened up and had two twin beds for Bert and Ernie. I was so thrilled because I had wanted that thing so much! Another very vivid memory is when I was 21 and in my first real relationship. What an incredible holiday! It was the first time I had experienced true love, and to share the holiday with someone made it so special.”


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