Good Tidings

Theatre Tallahassee’s Christmas show brings joyous harmonies and holiday cheer

What do barbershop quartets, time travel and Christmas carols all have in common? They’re all topics in Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings, this year’s holiday musical at Theatre Tallahassee.

“This show hasn’t been done (in Tallahassee) before — it’s very lighthearted and funny,” said the production’s director, Billy Lister. “I feel that a lot of Christmas stories, while they’re very uplifting, are also sad. So, this brings a different perspective.” 

Plaid Tidings follows characters Francis, Jinx, Smudge and Sparky as they attempt to “bring harmony to a discordant world” via a holiday special, which features renditions of popular yuletide tunes Jingle Bells, Feliz Navidad and Mele Kalikimaka, to name a few. It’s silly, festive and, according to Lister, fun for the whole family. 

“There are jokes geared to 30- and 40-year-olds and jokes that kids will understand,” he said. “It’s made for everybody.” 

Lister, an FSU Theatre alum and regular Theatre Tallahassee performer, teaches acting and voice classes at Making Light Productions. Before teaching, he worked at Young Actors Theatre, where he directed Mary Poppins Jr., Finding Nemo Jr. and Romeo and Juliet.

Last year, he applied to direct Theatre Tallahassee’s performance of Tick, Tick … Boom!, but things didn’t pan out. Still, he loved performing with the nonprofit and held onto his dream to someday direct one of its shows. When he received the script for Plaid Tidings, he knew he needed to throw his hat back in the ring. 

“I had a bunch of ideas going around in my brain of what I wanted to do with the staging,” he said of his initial read-through, adding that he also developed exciting ideas for the show’s casting and music direction. 

He included these plans in his application, and to his delight, Theatre Tallahassee’s executive team loved his vision — he booked the job. Thus, Plaid Tidings will mark Lister’s adulthood directorial debut. 

“I’m excited to (direct) people who aren’t 7- and 8-year-olds or middle schoolers,” Lister said, laughing. “I’m also excited to direct people I’ve been in shows with as a performer.”

According to Theatre Tallahassee’s Executive Director Theresa Davis, each show has a six- to eight-week lifecycle from auditions to opening night. At the time of writing, Plaid Tidings has yet to be cast or begin rehearsals, which will happen in October. 

When the time comes, Theatre Tallahassee’s full-time staff will help Lister’s team with everything from building sets to volunteer recruitment. For his part, Lister said he’s eager to start and looks forward to working with new and familiar faces. 

“In general, the most important thing to me is that (everyone trusts) each other,” he said. With a show like this where there are only four people on stage at all times, if the actors don’t get along and trust each other as a group, that’s going to show on stage.

“The same thing goes for (my relationship) with the actors,” Lister continued. “I trust the actors enough to give them these parts, and I trust them to work hard, and I hope they trust that I’m going to lead them in the right direction.” 

If he can accomplish all that, he said, everything else should be “smooth sailing.”  

Feeling Theatrical? 

Whether a seasoned professional, a first-time actor or something in between, Theatre Tallahassee’s executive director, Theresa Davis, encourages anyone who feels called to the stage to audition for a show. 

“We have everyone, from college students and doctors to lawyers and retirees, which is why our rehearsals are at night — most of our performers have a full-time job,” she said of Theatre Tallahassee’s troupe, adding: “This year, we had a lot of first-time performers audition and get into shows, which is exciting.”

Acting is a great hobby that can help boost confidence and improve public speaking and conversational skills, among other things. But Davis said the biggest perk is the sense of community it provides. 

“Once you’re part of a theater community, once you’re in a show, no matter how small, whether you’re backstage or volunteering as a house usher, it truly is a family,” Davis said. “All of the theater actors and volunteers look out for each other, and they all support each other in all their other theatrical endeavors, too.”

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings

Catch the joyous holiday sequel to Broadway hit Forever Plaid at Theatre Tallahassee this Christmas, from Dec. 12–22. Tickets can be purchased online at TheatreTallahassee.org or in person at the Theatre Tallahassee Box Office, open Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and one hour prior to showtimes.