Jubilee Theatre has corralled North Texas’ most talented and popular cover band and its long-time house band to lead in bringing this season’s most festive holiday celebration to downtown Fort Worth.
“A Phunk Dr’s Christmas,” on stage from Dec. 10-12, stands to be one of the most talked-about Christmas events of the year.
Producer and writer, D. Wambui Richardson and Music Director, Donarius Mims take an abundance of musical and entertainment talent from the Phunk Dr’s and other artists to create a full-fledged holiday production highlighting some of Jubilee Theatre’s veteran performers.
The Phunk Dr’s have been playing for over 25 years as a professional cover band, with the prolific ability to perform many different genres of music, including but not limited to pop, rock, R&B, 80’s, 70’s and more. They have been in high demand and can be regularly seen at numerous concerts, music festivals, corporate events and weddings, and other events.
The artists in “A Phunk Dr’s Christmas” consist of an amazing array of multi-talented and multi-disciplined vocalists and musicians and thespians, most of whom have been entrenched in Texas’s music and theater communities with others having arrived from other sectors of the country. All masterfully perform in several genres of music and have earned the status of “Virtuoso” in their own rights.
Among the featured performers will be vocalist, Malikha Mayes, who hails from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and is now associated with the Dallas Opera. A versatile soprano, her past works have included Cinderella’s Mother in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” and Prima Donna in Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne Auf Naxos (Prologue).” She has also performed in productions such as “West Side Story,” “Ragtime” and Mozart’s “Così fan Tutte as Fiordilgi.”
Musical Director Donarius Mims started playing drums in his local Fort Worth church at age 5 and has transformed into a Grade-A keyboardist/Pianist, arranger, and producer. He has performed globally in both stage and recording projects.
Crystal Williams returns to Jubilee, where she performed in “The Color Purple”, ” Alice Wonder”, “Harlem Blues”, “God’s Trombones”, and “Lysistrata.” Her numerous regional credits include “Abyssinia” (Lyric Stage), “Porgy and Bess” (Fort Worth Opera-Bass Hall), “Sister Act” (Watertower Theater), “The King and I” (Casa Manana), and several others.
Naeaidria Callihan, a Port Arthur, Texas native, living in Dallas by way of Nashville, Tennessee, has participated in productions with various regional companies including Lakeside Community Theatre, SoulRep Theatre, DEVINity Productions, Jubilee, GIANT Entertainment, North Texas Performance Arts Center, and others. She is an accomplished actress, music minister, choral conductor, and teacher.
Rickie Jones is an actor and singer who has been seen performing throughout the DFW Metroplex since the age of 14, in theatre productions such as “Jekyll and Hyde,” “The Wiz,” “Grease,” and “A Raisin in The Sun.” He will also make his debut performance Jubilee in “A Phunk Dr’s Christmas.”
Percussionist King Robinson Jr., who grew up as a gospel performer, has taken his musical talents all over the world. Currently, he is the touring drummer for KCM and the music director for Trip Lee.
Vocalist Colton Blake, a Fort Worth-based educator, speaker, and creative consultant, also makes his debut to the Jubilee Stage in “A Phunk Dr’s Christmas.”
Showtimes are:
Dec. 10, 8:00 p.m.
Dec. 11, 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Dec. 12, 3:00 p.m.
Jubilee Theatre is located at 506 Main St. in downtown Fort Worth. Visit www.jubileetheatre.org or call 817-338-4411.
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