Daddy D’s Christmas, a holiday tradition now thirteen years running, is set for Sunday, December 22 at the Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Dale and Vickie Quinn, the event is part of the PAC’s Kroll’s West Local Series, a showcase of the amazing local talent found right here in Northeast Wisconsin.
Daddy D’s family-friendly variety show arranges traditional tunes in a contemporary fashion, while sprinkling in humorous dialogue and skits that are sure to put a smile on your face. Songs you can expect to hear include, but are not limited to: “O Holy Night,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” and “Silent Night.”
In advance of the show, we asked Darren Johnson of Daddy D Productions a few questions. Learn details about the upcoming holiday performance and Darren’s “expert” opinion about when it’s okay to start playing Christmas music.
Q: Why do you think holiday music always draws a lot of interest from audiences?
A: I think it’s a combination of memories and music. Those songs bring folks back to their childhood or remind them of someone special.
Q: How do you go about choosing what music to include in your holiday program?
A: We look at what we have done from years past, cherry pick the crowd favorites, add several new selections and make sure we have enough of the traditional tunes everyone expects. Songs like Oh Holy Night, Silent Night, The Christmas Song, I’ll Be Home For Christmas and our traditional closer The Hallelujah chorus are a must for our attendees.
Q: What is your favorite memory from a past holiday show?
A: We got snowed in with our audience one year at The KI center. A blizzard hit during the three hours it took to feed our group and watch the show. No one complained and a group of 50 from Door County stayed the night. We all made the most of it and enjoyed a few drinks and conversation. Any other time of the year and I think the response would have been different. It wasn’t a miracle but it was definitely a special evening.
Q: What is one holiday song you’ll never tire of performing?
A: Mary Did You Know is a favorite of mine. It’s a song that people ask for every year, and I will keep performing it until the majority tell me I should hang it up.
Q: When do you think is the appropriate time to start playing holiday music? After Halloween or Thanksgiving?
A: The tickets really start selling for us in October so Halloween makes sense. It’s Christmas though… How about we start the week after Labor Day?
Tickets to Daddy D’s Christmas are $30. Senior tickets are available for $27. Subscriber and group discounts can also be applied. To purchase tickets or learn more about this or other upcoming events, visit ashwaubenonpac.org or call (920) 494-3401.