Performing Christmas cabaret tops list for Merced couple

Patrice Stribling Nelson has been working her way through her bucket list this year, and at the top this Christmas season is performing a cabaret with her husband and partner, Curtis Nelson.

“Doing cabarets is one of our absolute favorite gigs,” Stribling Nelson said. “We’re excited about having the opportunity to do it again, as it’s been several years since the last one.”

“A Christmas Cabaret With Nelson & Nelson” will be held 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Merced Multicultural Center and will include cabaret standards “Winter Wonderland” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” carols such as “Silent Night,” newer holiday favorites like “The Man With the Bag,” and new jazzy arrangements of “We Three Kings” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”

A no-host bar will be available before the cabaret and during intermission.

Stribling Nelson is excited to perform with her husband.

“Curtis and I are so blessed to not only fall in love and enjoy being married,” she said, “but it was so serendipitous to meet someone who could also be a symbiotic performance partner. The odds of meeting someone in our 50s who could also be an artistic partner was just so cool. We consider our cabarets one of our personal celebrations of that artistic symbiosis.”

The two bring a wealth of experience to the stage. Stribling Nelson has been teaching and performing for nearly 50 years as a pianist. She has been a guest conductor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City during Holy Week; conducted a choral group for President George and Barbara Bush, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip; and performed as a guest solo artist with numerous symphonies across the United States.

Curtis Nelson has performed as a soloist and choral conductor for more than 30 years, and is also a professional musical theater actor, performing lead roles in “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Peter Pan,” “My Fair Lady,” “42nd Street” and “Man of La Mancha.” He’s a choral/vocal professor at Merced College.

“Patrice and I have put together a package of seasonal music that will warm hearts, tap toes and bring smiles to faces,” Curtis Nelson said. “In these wonderful moments of melodic respite, we can take a break from the hustle and activity to relax and enjoy one of the most delightful aspects of the season: its music.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2014 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Performing Christmas cabaret tops list for Merced couple."