As Portland settles into the rhythm of the holiday season, two familiar figures are preparing to take the stage. For nearly a decade, Liberace and Liza: A Tribute has returned each winter with a holiday edition of the duo’s ongoing stage show.

This year’s iteration, Regifted and Unscripted, runs Dec. 18–21 at the CoHo Theater. ArtsWatch spoke with performers David Saffert and Jillian Snow about their work, its roots in the city, and the future of the act.

The duo first met around 2011 through Snow’s sister. After seeing each other perform, they recognized an opportunity to combine their talents and collaborate. Snow, a trained singer and dancer, has admired Liza Minnelli since childhood and had been portraying her on stage for years. Saffert, a classically trained pianist, came to Liberace later in life, once he saw the need for a dynamic counterpart to match the energy of his new creative partner.

Although the real Liberace and Minnelli never performed together, the pairing feels natural. Snow describes both performers as “quirky and larger than life in their own separate ways,” while Saffert emphasizes their shared understanding of showmanship. The modern duo draws on that dynamic during their stage shows. They have found a balance by leaning into the contrast and allowing Minnelli’s energy to expand while Liberace anchors the performance. They play off one another with easy, friendly banter that brings warmth and levity to the show.

While their show embraces camp, it is careful never to slip into parody or crudeness. For Snow, her portrayal is rooted in admiration. “Liza is my hero,” she says, likening the work to playful dress-up rather than caricature.

Saffert agrees, arguing that exaggeration is already built into the source material. “These two people are so over the top as it is,” he says. “Why do we need to add more?” Instead of relying on shock humor, the duo focuses on character-driven comedy and timeless situations, trusting that sincerity will do the work. Snow explains, “As long as you keep it genuine, the humor will come.”

Local audiences were uniquely receptive to their approach from the beginning. It is not just where the show first came together, but where its premise was accepted without hesitation.

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“Portland has never questioned this relationship,” Saffert notes. “A lot of people would be like, ‘Wait a minute, he’s dead.’ But Portland accepted it wholeheartedly from the beginning.” That willingness to suspend disbelief, he explains, creates the conditions for their show to thrive, which makes room for imagination rather than skepticism.

The show’s sense of lineage is further shaped by their consulting work with Bo Ayars, who served as the real Liberace’s musical director for thirteen years. Ayars, who now lives in Portland, directed and worked on several of the television specials Saffert and Snow now study as part of their character preparation. His influence brings an understanding of Liberace’s musical world that can’t be replicated through archival footage alone, grounding the performance in experience rather than imitation.

While their show feels spontaneous, its looseness is carefully constructed. Saffert and Snow do not follow a strict script, but they do rehearse the musical structure and transitions, refining them over time. The performance begins by briefly orienting viewers to who Liberace and Liza are before allowing the energy to expand into improvisation. That approach has helped the show resonate across generations; an appeal Saffert attributes to the generosity of the figures themselves. “Their main goal in life is to make people happy,” he says.

This year, Regifted and Unscripted leans further into intimacy with the viewers. Snow notes that the show is shaped nightly by the audience, making no two performances alike. She appreciates the CoHo Theatre’s intimate size, as it makes the interactions feel relaxed. “It really is a party,” Saffert says, “where Liberace and Liza just happen to be there. And they’re going to entertain for a while.” Compared to previous years with larger sets, this iteration strips things back, mixing traditional holiday songs with a few unexpected modern additions.

The show has toured in New York City, New Orleans, Seattle, and San Francisco, but Portland remains its home base. Over the years, the duo have performed at major regional venues, including the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Broadway Rose Theatre, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, and Portland Center Stage.

Looking ahead, Saffert and Snow see few limits on where the act could go, from Broadway stages to symphony collaborations to international audiences in England and Australia, where fans of Liberace and Minnelli remain deeply invested in their legacies. Their non-holiday production is already being booked into 2026.

Their production of Liberace and Liza: A Tribute continues to win over audiences by resisting easy categorization. It is neither parody nor recreation, but an ongoing conversation between past and present, shaped by performers who understand the weight of the material they carry. In Saffert and Snow’s hands, the show works because the elements align, bringing talent and craft into balance.

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Liberace & Liza: Regifted and Unscripted (A Tribute)

• Company: CoHo Theater
• Where: CoHo Theater, 2257 N.W. Raleigh Street, Portland
• When: Dec. 18- 21 (Some performances are sold out; limited tickets still available)
• Ticket & schedule information: Here