Video interview: Ricki Derek and Nick Gibbons for Night-OH-Cabaret

by Mike Bullock , John P. Meyer

Ricki Derek has been crooning around Dallas for a number of years (more than 10.5). And for 10.5 of 'em (the math is a little sketchy, as you'll hear in the interview), he and creative partner Nick Gibbons have been producing (and performing in) a Vaudeville-ish variety show called Night-OH-Cabaret that features singing, comedy and some additional categories of entertainment including (but not, apparently, limited to) magic, fire, and hot chicks.

(Which might be where the fire comes in, but that's pure speculation.)

The frequency of Night-OH-Cabaret events has varied through the years, ranging from weekly during its late '90s - early '00s heyday, to the current situation which finds them coming off on something like a quarterly basis -- this due partly to Nick having taken up residence in a different part of the country.

Like the scheduling, the size of the show venues has varied considerably, from tiny to spacious. The Lakewood Theater -- the site of this Saturday's show -- falls into the latter category, says Ricki.

Tickets for the show cost $20 - $25, and you can purchase them directly from the Lakewood box office or through Ticketmaster -- especially if you're anxious to pay extra for the service charge, Nick points out.

Here are highlights of the semi-wacky, semi-nostalgic two-part interview (each part being roughly 10 minutes long):

Part 1

* Nick flew in from Atlanta. His mom makes great cookies, and you can have one if you attend the show

* During the early years when they wrote and performed new material each week, the crew made 4 a.m. post-show visits to Los Arcos for succor and Tex-Mex in a quiet, subdued atmosphere

* Performer Fanny comes from "circus folk" and does a knock-em-dead hula hoop act. (Plus, she's "very, very fit," says Ricki.)

* The "Tougher Than Curry" rap group may be their most requested act. (They are pre-Slumdog, just FYI.)

* Nick rates the show "FA-13" (for Freakin' Awesome)

Part 2

* The guys hint that their seven-piece band derives its cachet from The Soloist

* Did an audience member really get smushed by a falling light during their last show?

* They speculate as to the cause of their troupe's big rotation of female singers (could it have something to do with misogyny? NAH!)

* Learn why Paul the Amazing eats fire but refuses to juggle it

* They wax nostalgic about the show they saw in Vegas featuring four topless showgirls

* The Arcade Bar (next door to the Lakewood Theater) will have drink specials prior to the show -- and how this information might affect the show's outcome (HINT: "Drink responsibly" means using a straw.)

You can find out more about Ricki and Nick -- neither of whom are particularly shy -- through their respective websites, here and here.

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Mike Bullock did camera and video editing for this shoot.