Kidz Kabaret moves New Year's Eve show to Lisle

The old saying “the show must go on” gained new meaning for Naperville-based theater company Kidz Kabaret this holiday season.

The group had planned since September to perform the musical “Hairspray” at the Naperville Holiday Inn on New Year's Eve. About 30 high school and college students had been rehearsing for months and Kidz Kabaret had spent $3,000 for rights to perform the musical.

But the hotel recently was purchased by a group of management companies that will renovate it and turn it into a Marriott. And just last week, hotel officials notified Kidz Kabaret that the show could not go on — at least not in its original location.

“It was a disappointing shock,” said Kandiss Hernandez, executive director of Fair Lady Productions, which runs Kidz Kabaret. “We'd already made such a strong commitment to doing this (performance).”

Hernandez found a new home for the show — and a new place for performers' families to spend the last night of the year — by contacting another hotel where Kidz Kabaret has performed in the past.

The Hyatt in Lisle is providing a stage and seating area for the performance, and offering a $220 New Year's Eve package with a room, a buffet dinner, breakfast and “Hairspray” tickets for two adults and two children.

“It was the right thing to do and luckily we were able to,” the hotel's director of sales Robin Friday said.

The hotel was not offering any New Year's Eve deals until it became host of the Kidz Kabaret show, Friday said. About 30 families had purchased the package as of Thursday afternoon, and the hotel will sell as many as 200.

Even with the last-minute scrambling, Hernandez said the 1960s musical will be a high-energy, family friendly show featuring a creative set and professional costumes. This is the second year Kidz Kabaret has performed on New Year's Eve.

“People with kids are always looking for something to do on New Year's Eve,” Hernandez said. “This package allows a fantastic show, dinner, the pool, you can spend the night, and a breakfast for a pretty reasonable rate.”