Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebekah Dahl.
Rebekah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My husband Brad Scarborough and I were getting married in January of 2011. We were performing in a musical theater company at The Hobby Center downtown at the time, and we were trying to figure out how we could still do what we loved and start a family. We knew that we needed to have more control over our schedules. Coincidentally around that same time my friends at Radio Music Theater were about to retire and move out of the club they’d been in for 20 years. We’d always admired what they’d been able to accomplish there. They were a husband and wife team who created their own shows using music and comedy and had a blast doing it successfully for years. We thought we could do something that had that same energy but was quintesentially our style. We put together a team of the most fun and versatile performers we could think of in Luke Wrobel, Cay Taylor & Kristina Sullivan and found a great musical director in Glenn Sharp. He assembled an incredible band. Together we created this great space where people can come for pure entertainment, have some drinks and some laughs, and hear exceptional live music from across the decades.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anytime you’re starting a small business there are obstacles. It took us a while to find our audience. We’ve found that word of mouth and social media have been a great asset. We believed in what we were doing and knew there was nothing like it in Houston. Our biggest obstacle continues to be just letting people know we exist.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Music Box Theater – what should we know?
We are Houston’s only cabaret theater. We create unique shows that blend live popular music from across the decades with our own brand of sketch comedy. We do this every weekend in our club at Richmond and Kirby. Each show has a theme and we change the shows up every few months. We sing everything from Broadway to Rock and Roll to Standards to Country and everything in between. We also create personalized shows for private parties and corporate events. We write comedy to suit your occasion and add your favorite music so essentially we can create a musical just for you. The thing I’m most proud of is how much fun folks have when they come to our club. They feel the love in what we do, and it’s so uplifting to hear people singing along with us and laughing. It truly is like throwing a great party every weekend.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My husbands parents have been invaluable. Davis Scarborough has always said that we should open a place like ours, and he runs our website and sends emails to our patrons every week. If we had to pay him for everything he does, we could never afford it! So many friends have been there for us along the way. Ben Wheatley does our PR. Judy Einbinder does many of our events. Tony Canino is another eye for us creatively. John Gremillion contributes hilariously onstage once or twice a year. Our band, Glenn, Long Le, Mark Mccain, and James Metcalf are the hardest working musicians in town. They often have to make their own charts and play by ear. They are awesome. During the first few difficult years we had friends that helped out by producing their own projects in the space to help subsidize our costs: Michael J. Ross and The Klaes family did musical productions and our own Kristina Sullivan had a school for a time. I’m not sure we could’ve made it through our lean years without their help. I’m sure I’m forgetting somebody. My own parents have been a source of mental and emotional strength as well!
Pricing:
- Tickets are $27 for general admission
- $37 for reserved seating
Contact Info:
- Address: 2623 Colquitt
Houston, Tx 77098 - Website: Themusicboxtheater.com
- Phone: 713-522-7722
