Anita Kallen and Catherine Thomson are cabaret artists in Chicago who create musical shows that celebrate the advancement and achievement of women. All the shows in their HERstory series are meticulously researched and crafted, not as collections of songs or concerts, per se, but as a form of musical storytelling that takes their audiences on a journey with songs and stories that entertain, educate, move, and inspire. Since 2019 their HERstory shows have been performed at/hosted by a variety of venues/organizations such as libraries, senior residences, community centers, an intimate cabaret club and the larger Skokie Theatre, as well as civic, religious, and corporate DEI events. Although the HERstory shows focus on female triumphs (and tribulations), they appeal to both men and women. Anita and Catherine construct their shows with something for everyone!
Their shows include: 1) “HERstory: The 19th Amendment and the Power of the Vote!” which debuted in 2019 and celebrates – in song and HERstory – the rabble-rousing pioneers who won the right to vote for the women of America. With music by Sondheim, Lennon & McCartney, the Sherman Brothers, Parton, Schwartz, Porter and others, Anita and Catherine weave in the story of women’s suffrage from second-class citizenship at the nation’s founding to the nail-biting final days in the fight for ratification of the 19th Amendment and then to present-day efforts to maximize the power of women voting.
2) “HERstory: Trailblazing Female Firsts” which debuted in March 2022 and salutes the gutsy gals who boldly defied society’s conventions – going where no woman had gone before – and achieved groundbreaking female “Firsts.” With songs by Harold Arlen, Stephen Schwartz, Dolly Parton, Tom Lehrer, Kander & Ebb, and Sara Bareilles, among others, Anita and Catherine weave in inspiring stories of amazing women and their trailblazing triumphs;
3) “HERstory: A Century of Songwriting Sisters” which will debut in early 2024 and celebrates the famous and not-so-famous women who have contributed to Tin Pan Alley, the Great American Songbook, the Broadway canon and contemporary popular music, with songs that will span the decades and bring new appreciation for what these women overcame to achieve their success.
Head to their website, HERstoryMusicalShows.com, for more details (including available show lengths for conventions and receptions), video clips, critical acclaim and audience comments.