The Doris Dear Christmas Special

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Song List

Doris Dear: Christmas in New York

Doris Dear: Sugar and Booze

Cooper: Grownup Christmas List

Those Girls: Step Into Christmas

Meg Flather: Somewhere in My Memory

Leslie Carrara Rudolph & Doris: Sleigh Ride/Marshmallow

Natalie Douglas: Cool Yule

Augie Haas Special Guest 1: The Naughty Elf

Karen Mack Special Guest 2: A Pinch of Christmas

Doris Dear: Merry Christmas Darling into….

Doris Dear: As Long as There’s Christmas reprise

Doris Dear: recorded dance tune

Meet the Company

Ray DeForest

producer/writer/ director

RAY DEFOREST is a seasoned veteran of the entertainment industry, boasting an impressive 46-year career marked by unparalleled dedication and multifaceted expertise. As a distinguished member of the Dramatist Guild and an esteemed figure on the NY Board & National LGBT Committee for the SAG/AFTRA entertainment union, Ray's contributions to the arts and advocacy are renowned. Throughout his illustrious journey, Ray has held pivotal roles on numerous Executive boards for non-profit institutions, leveraging his influence to drive positive change within the community. His extensive experience spans across some of the most prominent entertainment companies worldwide, where he has left an indelible mark through his work as a TV producer and host of various acclaimed TV shows. For over 35 years, Ray has been a driving force in producing live entertainment on a global scale, showcasing his unparalleled talents as a producer, writer, and star of the award-winning "Doris Dear Specials". These productions captivate audiences in theaters across NYC and beyond, embodying Ray's unwavering commitment to elevating the theatrical experience. A staunch advocate for the growth and enrichment of theater, Ray lends his expertise to a myriad of projects, from high school productions to full-scale commercial endeavors and non-profit initiatives. His passion for community engagement extends to his role as a prominent LGBT community leader, where he spearheads initiatives to raise vital funds for at-risk youth and promote awareness of pressing social issues. Ray's impact resonates far beyond the stage, as evidenced by his groundbreaking streaming series "Doris Dear's Gurl Talk". Through four compelling seasons, Ray, starring as the iconic "Doris Dear," has garnered widespread acclaim and numerous awards for his insightful and entertaining content, available on his YouTube channel. With an unwavering dedication to fostering inclusivity, creativity, and social change, Ray DeForest stands as a beacon of inspiration within the entertainment industry and beyond.

Doris Dear

Hostess/Singer

Doris Dear, famously known as "America's Perfect Housewife," is the dazzling drag persona of Ray DeForest. The journey to becoming Doris began during a pivotal moment when Ray's beloved mother, Taffy, was slipping away due to Alzheimer’s. This deeply personal experience inspired Ray to dive into the world of drag, ultimately giving life to Doris Dear, a glamorous and witty tribute to classic femininity. Doris quickly charmed audiences nationwide with her radiant smile, impeccable fashion sense, and keen attention to detail, earning her the title of "America's Perfect Housewife." Ray DeForest, through Doris, artfully merges a love for all things vintage with a modern flair, creating a unique blend of nostalgia and contemporary entertainment. Doris Dear's performances are a delightful mix of storytelling, humor, and retro glamour that transport audiences to a bygone era of elegance and charm. She fosters an atmosphere of inclusivity and warmth, becoming a cherished figure and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, using her platform to champion love, acceptance, and equality. Doris Dear's accomplishments are as impressive as her stage presence. Her series, "Doris Dear's Gurl Talk," became the #1 show on the streaming network BroadwayOnDemand, earning several prestigious awards, including the Telly Award, Communicator Award, and W3 Award. In addition, Doris Dear is a three-time MAC Award winner and a Broadway World Award winner, solidifying her place as a beloved and influential figure in the entertainment world. With her timeless appeal and genuine persona, Doris Dear continues to captivate audiences, spreading joy, laughter, and a touch of retro glamour wherever she goes. Her legacy as "America's Perfect Housewife" endures, inspiring others to embrace their true selves and celebrate individuality.

Blake Allen

Musical Director/Orchestrator

Blake Allen, PhD is thrilled to be celebrating a six year collaboration with Doris Dear! Allen has three Billboard charting albums (INSOMNIA; the shards of an honor code junkie; Sonatas). Allen has performed on Broadway (Tootsie, Stephen King's Misery, and Notre Dame de Paris), with the New York City Ballet, Philip Glass, The Eagles, The Who, and Andrea Bocelli, to name a few. Allen is a leading expert on The Sherman Brothers having music directed and music supervised the Off-Broadway Revival of Over Here! which took place right here at the Triad Theatre in 2019! Allen also was the creator and musical director of the award-winning, hit series An Evening With... and co-wrote the shows Folk Wandering and Farmyard Follows. Blake holds a PhD from NYU. Other schooling includes BYU and CCM. For more information, visit www.blakeallen.org / @blakeallenpresents

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph

Puppeteer/Singer

LESLIE CARRARA-RUDOLPH, is a Daytime Emmy winning performer for Abby Cadabby on Sesame Street. She is a multifaceted entertainer and artist who has dedicated her life to championing the arts through community outreach, workshops, and live shows. Her work has garnered her a Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award nomination for Musical Comedy Performer in 2019. Her shows at have included "What Just Happened", "Moonlight Madness", and "Bizarre Brunch". Other TV and film credits include: "Splash and Bubbles" (2017 Annie Award Nominee), "Nature Cat", "Johnny and The Sprites", "Animal Jam", "ABC’s Muppets Tonight", "A Muppet Christmas", "The Simpsons", and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Her work as the purple fairy has allowed her to perform at The White House, and with both The Jazz and Lincoln Center Orchestra and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Leslie’s original musical "Wake Up Your Weird" enjoyed runs at The O'Neill Puppetry Conference and off-Broadway. Her radio-show-style podcast series, "Lolly’s Radio Playdate" received accolades from NPR. Leslie and her signature character, candy-loving 5-year old Lolly Lardpop, spend their days helping families and communities navigate life creatively by providing joy through the arts to help them make a difference with their own unique voices.

Cooper daSilva

Singer

Cooper daSilva: A Rising Star in the Performing Arts Cooper daSilva is a vibrant and talented high school junior whose journey in the performing arts is already making a lasting impression. With a growing repertoire of stage roles, Cooper brings characters to life with passion, precision, and heart. His dedication to his craft shines through in every performance, showcasing a maturity and stage presence well beyond his years. More than just a gifted actor, Cooper’s award-winning, melodic voice has captivated audiences—most memorably during the Doris Dear shows, where his performance brought the house to its feet. His vocal talent, paired with his magnetic stage presence, continues to earn him accolades and admiration. For two consecutive years, Cooper was awarded a scholarship to the Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA) Summer Musical Theater Program—an honor given to students who demonstrate exceptional promise in the field. Building on that achievement, Cooper has since been accepted into LIHSA’s highly regarded two-year Musical Theater Program. He will now spend his junior and senior years immersed in professional training, further developing his skills and passion. Adding a special touch to his artistic journey, Cooper’s Auntie Doris Dear—a beloved figure in the entertainment industry—is thrilled to welcome him back to her celebrated annual Christmas show at The Triad Theatre in NYC. When they share the stage, their connection brings warmth, joy, and a genuine sense of family to audiences during the holiday season. As Cooper daSilva continues to impress with his boundless energy, remarkable talent, and unwavering dedication, there’s no doubt he is a performer on the rise. Keep an eye on this young artist—his journey is just beginning, and the best is yet to come.

Natalie Douglas

Singer

Natalie Douglas is a 21st-century vocalist with a strong foundation in the traditional pop vocals of the American Songbook and an equally fierce devotion to the modern jazz, blues, rock & country influences of her childhood. Like her idol, Nina Simone, Natalie is drawn to lyrics that tell compelling stories no matter the genre. Douglas is a two-time Bistro, Nightlife, and fourteen-time MAC Award Winner, whose international performances have taken her from concert halls to theaters to intimate clubs and everything in between. She has produced 80 concerts at her musical home, Birdland Jazz Club in New York City - most notably her TRIBUTES series, celebrating artists she loves, including, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Elvis, Dolly Parton, Nat King Cole, Dame Shirley Bassey, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Joni Mitchell, Sammy Davis, Jr., Lena Horne, Barbra Streisand, and Cher. Natalie’s portrait also hangs on the legendary Birdland Jazz Club Wall of Fame. The most recent addition to her four CD catalog is the critically acclaimed 2025 MAC Award-winning album “Back to the Garden,” on Club44 Records"." Her CDs are available on iTunes, Amazon.com, Spotify, and her website: nataliedouglas.com, and all streaming platforms. Natalie is a great favorite of broadcasters, and her music is often featured on NPR and Sirius XM Radio & BBCLondon Radio. As an actor, she has appeared in 18 editions of "The Atrainplays," (a 24-hour birth to performance event) at the Neighborhood Playhouse, The Peter Sharp Theatre and New World Stages and off-Broadway in "The People vs. Mona," by the writers of Pumpboys & Dinettes. She appeared in the horror film, "The Camera’s Eye," ABC’s "Cupid" and can be seen with her gorgeous husband showing off the good education her parents paid for on The Discovery Channel’s "Cash Cab." Most recently, she can be seen in the award-winning documentary, “Sloane: A Jazz Singer,” celebrating another one of her heroes, the late, great Carol Sloane, in domestic & and international film festivals. In addition, Douglas has made her mark as a much sought-after educator and actor – an Expert Instructor for the Jim & Elizabeth Sullivan Foundation, the Eugene O’Neill Cabaret & Performance Conference, and the Mabel Mercer Foundation, where she has been named Education Director. ​ Natalie specializes in diversity workshops and masterclasses for public and private schools and devoting attention to individual study. Natalie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of USC with a Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, Theatre, and Women’s Studies and holds a Master’s Degree from UCLA in Psychology and Theatre.

Meg Flather

Singer

Meg Flather has won two Bistro and three MAC Awards as a performer—including Major Female Artist—, a MAC and BroadwayWorld Award as a songwriter, and the Special Production MAC Award for her show Meg Flather Songs/A Cabaret Sisterhood. Meg’s Hammerstein & Sondheim CAREFULLY TAUGHT won a BroadwayWorld Award for Best Show, and Meg’s solo musical, Hold On Tight . . . a love story was awarded the United Solo Award for Best Storytelling Show. Meg has released ten CDs of her original music and has authored two books: Home Shopping Diva. . . Lessons, Lyrics and Lipstick and Hold On Tight . . . a love story. Meg proudly serves as the North American Brand Ambassador for StriVectin Skincare—promoting the brand on QVC and TSC, Canada.

Those Girls

Girl Group Singers

A popular favorite with audiences and critics alike, look to THOSE GIRLS (Eve Eaton, Rachel Hanser, Karen Mack & Wendy Russell) for lush, harmonies, fun arrangements, and fresh takes on standards to showtunes to pop and then some! They're four-time MAC Award winners for Best Vocal Group, and were chosen Best Vocal Group 2024 & Best Group Show 2020 by BroadwayWorld.com. Through the MMF, they made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2019, JALC in 2022, 2023 & 2024, and for those with UK friends/fam', they'll be at The Crazy Coqs in London on April 12th, 2026. www.thosegirlssing.com

Augie Haas

Special Guest Performer Friday Night

Augie Haas currently lives in New York City where he is a professional trumpeter, composer, and teacher. Augie has worked with artists including Raye, Harry Connick, Jr., The Maria Schneider Orchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Gil Evans Project, Birdland Big Band, various Broadway shows, and The Radio City Orchestra. Augie is currently a regular member of the orchestra for Aladdin on Broadway. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Augie earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of the Performing Arts. After Chicago, he attended The University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Conservatory for a Masters in Studio Music in Jazz, and a Doctorate in Musical Arts. Beyond music, Augie wrote his first children's book which he also illustrated called Little Augie and His Trumpet. He also has ten albums under his label Playtime Music: The Llama, Doing it Augie Style, Baby Jazz, Endless, Have We Met?, Dream A Little Dream, A 2020 Christmas, The Dreamer - Vol 1: Sleepy Time, The Dreamer - Vol 2: Playtime, and Live at the Speakeasy. Augie also authored and self-published his book Build Your Range for both trumpet and trombone which has been sold worldwide.

Karen Mack

Special Guest Performer Saturday Night

Karen Mack is a multi-award winning singer/songwriter based in NYC, with creative roots planted in jazz, folk, pop & swing. Over the past twenty-five years, she's established herself as a popular & respected favorite in top venues coast to coast, including Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center. She's a 2024 Bistro Award winner for Variety in Cabaret Performance, a fourteen-time MAC Award winner for performance and songwriting, including the 2025 LaMott Friedman Award for her new album "Catch & Keep", and of course for dynamic vocal harmony in Those Girls, and swing/reckless pop duos with Elliot Roth and Michael Holland. She also makes an excellent potato salad, and she returns to Birdland with a brand new show on Monday, May 4th, 2026! www.karenmack.com

Christmas Celebrations

🎄 REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS EVE 🎄

Greetings all and happy Christmas Eve! 

Christmas eve was a big event in our household. Taffy and Duke were lovers of the holidays and Christmas Eve was almost more entertaining than Christmas Day! There was lots of preparations the week before. Taffy made sure all the decorations were in place, especially in the Rumpus Room. Taffy loved holly, all green and shiny with red berries. She would make garlands that would hang on the paneled walls and small wreathes for the windows. Lots of candles and fresh pine were scattered on the bar and the smell of cinnamon was everywhere. 

Of course my sister, Nancy, and I were always transported by the pure magic of how the house sparkled that night. We would lay under the tree and stare up through the twinkling lights and German tinsel. We would lay there until mom and dad said it was time to put our red and green outfits on and sing carols in front of the tree. Duke loved this tradition. He would wear his red nightshirt and red nightcap and hold a big Christmas candle as we would sing as a family. It still puts a smile on my face when I think of those very merry moments with all of us singing slightly off key! 

Then it was time for all our friends and relatives to arrive. Johnny Mathis would be playing on the phonograph while Taffy would be warming up her dance moves with me. We would giggle through the entire rousing rendition of Johnny singing "Sleigh Ride". 

There was always plenty of food in the rumpus room as well. A buffet full of jello molds, dips and of course a relish tray since nothing says 'party' like celery and olives! The week before was spent making homemade 'spritz cookies'. We would dye the dough different colors and decorate the cookies with different color sprinkles. Nancy and I always ate too much of the raw dough which was too tasty to ignore. 

People would arrive all dressed up and Nancy and I would sit on the stairs and listen to the clinking of the ice as the manhattans and whiskey sours were poured. Everyone was happy and giggling and celebrating the holidays in full fashion.  

There was always a punch bowl this time of year. Something called a'Tom & Jerry' that was served in the most beautiful bowl and mugs. It was made ahead of time with some sort of batter. I was never allowed to taste it but everyone always seemed very happy after a few mug fulls!  

Nancy and I would eventually be called down to the Rumpus room to sing a carol before we headed off to bed dreaming of Santa and his reindeer. Duke always made sure we were awake enough to hear Santa on the roof! Of course we would leave a few of our spritz cookies out with a big glass of milk for Santa which he always seemed to fully enjoy.  

Taffy and Duke always made sure we had the  most amazing Christmas. Even when times were tough, we never would have known. Duke worked hard to make sure we always had everything we could possibly desire and Taffy made sure our home was full of love. Nancy and I were best friends and many a holiday night was spent cuddling together watching "White Christmas" or some other holiday favorite movie on the TV. I cherish each and every moment I had with my family. This holiday season I especially will be embracing the memories of each of them knowing that because of them, I am who I am today.  So lift a glass of milk and grab a cookie and remember all the people in our lives who made us who we are today.  

To you and yours I wish you the happiest of holidays. 

XOXO 

Doris Dear

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