The Omnibus Show is a podcast hosted by Dave Gibbs “for people who love interviews of interesting and accomplished people, and who are life learners.” Monday, Nov. 13’s episode of The Omnibus Show featured Maria Murphy, CEO of the award-winning Carmel Christkindlmarkt.
Murphy
Murphy has served in this role since the Market’s opening in 2017. Growing up in Yorktown, Ind., Murphy did not celebrate the holidays. However, when she spent a year in Germany as recipient of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship supported by Senator Richard Lugar, her host family introduced her to all the traditions.
She developed a fluency in German and met a wide network of contacts with whom she keeps in touch today – which has helped in her current role.
Prior to her work at the Market, Murphy spent 10 years in the banking industry. In 2017, she heard Mayor Jim Brainard announce his plans for a Christmas market in Carmel. It wasn’t long after she expressed her interest to him that she got the call to head up the project, and after praying on the decision and looking to support from mentors, she decided to take it on.
Although the market mirrors those held for hundreds of years in Europe, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt offers special Carmel touches. Murphy explains how the market has grown, what challenges she had, and what special vendors and treats you can expect when you visit.
Under Murphy’s direction, the Market has been named the Best Holiday Market by USA Today’s 10 Best competition in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Click here to learn more and to vote to make it No. 1 again this year.
The Christkindlmarkt will be open this Saturday, Nov. 18 and continue through Christmas Eve. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Learn more at CarmelChristkindlmarkt.com.
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Collins
Coming up on Monday, Nov. 20, The Omnibus Show will welcome Cynthia Collins, the Co-Founder Emeritus of Actors Theatre of Indiana.
Collins received her BFA in Theatre from Ohio University. She studied at the N.J. School of Ballet with Jay Norman (original Broadway cast and Motion Picture cast member of West Side Story). She has appeared in theater regionally and Off-Broadway, as well as television and film appearances. She has worked with such artists as Ben Vereen, Sandy Duncan, Claude Aikins, and Cyndi Lauper. Her Cabaret performances have been seen at The Horn of Plenty and Bluesland in NYC and at Feinstein’s at The Hotel Carmichael. She was the Assistant Director /Choreographer to Director Thomas Mills at AMDA (American Music and Dramatic Academy).
A native of Livingston, N.J. and longtime resident of New York City, Cindy currently resides in Carmel.
About The Omnibus Show
The podcast is for people who are interested in everything, with deep conversations on a wide variety of subjects. The Omnibus Show is a podcast started by Dave Gibbs. He started out, after graduating from Indiana University, as a journalist and photographer; he worked all over Indiana, the Pacific Northwest, and the Chicago area. His late father, John, was the Executive Producer for City Desk at WMAQ- TV (NBC) Chicago, which was a decades-long interview show between top reporters and celebrities, people, and politicians with ties to Chicago.
Visit TheOmnibusShow.com for the audio podcasts and YouTube channel for more information and to sign up for the newsletter.