Fair Lady Programs & Brands
Kidz Kabaret was created in 2003 by Kandiss Hernandez with 18 passionate youths staging a summer stock performance in her backyard. That first show was an overwhelming success, and suddenly, our little theater group was formed.
Since then, we have blossomed into a vibrant, comprehensive theater program. We are proud to say that this year we will stage more than 200 performances, with more than 1,500 youths and teens participating in our program and nearly 30,000 community members attending one of our shows.
Kidz Kabaret is officially part of the Fair Lady Productions organization, our parent company that is dedicated to bringing the theater to the Naperville community. The Fair Lady family includes:
Center Stage Players
An audition-only youth theater program for experienced students
Kidz Kabaret was created as an alternative to traditional audition-based children’s theater programs, where the competition is fierce for just a handful of starring roles.
We believe that every child deserves his or her moment in the spotlight. We believe that supporting roles provide valuable opportunities to learn and grow. That’s why every Kidz Kabaret student receives both a speaking part and a supporting role in our productions. Here’s how it works.
All students of all ages and abilities are welcome to join a production, regardless of previous theater experience. (Note that productions may be segmented by age group.)
Each student is typically assigned to two casts. In one cast, the child will have a prominent role. In the second cast, the child will have a supporting role. Each cast typically performs one time, so most students will perform on stage twice.
This means that every Kidz Kabaret production will have many casts. For example, a recent Kidz Kabaret production of The Little Mermaid had 21 different casts! This allows us to make sure that every student has a prominent, speaking role for at least one performance.
Casting decisions are made by the director of the production and are based on a range of factors, including the child’s talents and growth potential.
To learn more about our upcoming productions, visit our shows page. If you’d like to speak to a director about whether Kidz Kabaret is right for your child, please contact us today.
Our amazing team of staff directors helps us provide outstanding theatrical experiences. Their talents, creativity and energy are truly what make Kidz Kabaret possible!
Kandiss Hernandez is both our Visionary and Chief Executive Officer. She manages our overall business operations, including show selection and student director internships. She also directs Center Stage Players productions. Kandiss holds a BA in Theatre/Voice from Bradly University and is a member of the Actors Equity Union.
Megan is our operations manager, her many duties include directing Kidz Kabaret and Center Stage Player productions, rental manager and overall operator of productions.