Sat. December 19, 2020
The club is closed, but not the holidays or holiday cheer.
Molly Callinan and Caitlin Simone Buffa (The Doorstep Divas!) will be live from the stage at Hydrate Nightclub this Sunday, December 20, at 7:30 p.m., singing a super-sized dose of holiday fun.
The Doorstep Divas will be streaming their 90-minute show, “Home for the Holidays: Literally,” live on Facebook.
“We have done previous Facebook Live events and people kept commenting, 'Do a holiday show!' We decided, if we do, it has to be bigger and better than streamed from a suburban basement,” said Callinan, who is good friends with Hydrate owner Mark Liberson, and has performed on the Hydrate stage for Pride and Market Days. “Our show will have quality sound, lights, and most importantly, fog!”
The duo will be singing all the popular, holiday favorites – and a special song dedicated to how they feel about 2020.
The show will feature “awkward, ridiculous banter,” plus “a handful of amazing holiday songs and a couple bad ones,” she said.
Grab your favorite cocktail and some snacks as the duo will “make you smile, sing and have a little holiday cheer,” Callinan said.
Callinan, 45, is originally from St. Paul, Minn., and moved to Chicago for theatre in 2004. She admittedly “started the hustle at a young age, going door to door in her neighborhood, asking for money in exchange for a song,” she said.
Callinan has since sang in multiple theatre productions, on cruise ships, at Disney, and Universal Studios Japan. Her voice took her to Chicago, where she has spent years singing with the local, all-girl, party band Catfight. She also has traveled the world with Gary Sinise, and The Lt. Dan Band, singing for the military and their families.
Simone, 40, who lives in Villa Park, has sang in church choir, show choir, studied theatre and music in college, and eventually ended up in the Chicago music scene. Pre-pandemic she was vocal captain of the Ken Arlen Evolution Orchestra, performing locally and nationally.
“The Doorstep Divas have been singing since the pandemic hit,” Callinan said. “Professional musicians were told we can no longer work due to COVID-19. Every single gig was cancelled. We were told to 'pivot' or 'find something new'… that's just what we did.
“In May, we were asked by one of Caitlin's friends if we could surprise her husband for his birthday with a singing telegram. We agreed, stayed 6 feet away and performed on their doorstep.”
That musical moment was shared on social media, leading to more inquiries.
“Next thing you know, we are The Doorstep Divas ... with business cards, a website, and a real company,” Callinan said. “We spent all summer bringing celebration and the party to people's doors. We also do DivaCameos. If you are across the country but want to send your family a video message and song, we customize for the occasion, and email a professional, a lot of times hysterical video. We are also providing virtual entertainment for corporate meetings, holiday parties, or charity events.”
The Divas will be donating a portion of proceeds from Sunday's show to MusiCares, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for professional musicians in times of need.
The Divas have had quite the singing swag, performing for kids' birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, retirements, girls-nights-out, going-away-parties, and more. Each customer picks two songs from their song-list and the Divas then deliver the party – from 6 feet away! They bring a sound system, matching costumes, choreography, and plenty of smiles.
“Our singing style is mostly pop/rock/standards, but we will take on almost anything,” Callinan said.
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