Get in the Spirit
The holidays are happening on the ECTC stage
December is the month where we indulge ourselves in nostalgia, putting on that record of favorite carols, queuing up Christmas movies and heading to the theater to see cherished holiday tales brought to life.
This holiday season, Emerald Coast Theatre Company is bringing to stage two timeless classics, Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus and A Christmas Carol, plus an original production, the Jingle Jangle Christmas Musical Review.
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus will take the stage Dec. 1–9. This editorial was first published in 1897 as a 500-word piece and has since been adapted in over 20 languages, adapted as a film and presented on many stages.
The story merges two narratives, that of 8-year-old Virginia and a young newspaper editor. Virginia questions whether or not Santa exists while the editor struggles against the holiday blues as he’s faced with losing his job. While the two don’t know each other, they are brought together to find the Christmas spirit.
Friday morning showings at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. are reserved for school field trips, Saturday performances will be held at 9:30 a.m., and Sunday performances are open to the public at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Get ready for the “bah humbugs” in ECTC’s rendition of A Christmas Carol, produced by guest director Marci Duncan. This production presents the Dickens characters you know and love — Tiny Tim; the Cratchit family; the Fezziwigs; the ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet-to-come; and, of course, the beloved curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge.
While the play remains true to the tale, creative touches directed by Duncan enhance the holiday spirit.
“So many adaptations paint Scrooge as a one dimensional character,” said Nathanael Fisher, ECTC’s producing artistic director. “This production sheds light on why he is the way he is, stemming from hurtful childhood moments while also showing these very touching moments between Scrooge and other characters.”
Bruce Collier, a theater favorite for his previous roles as Winston Churchill and Santa in Miracle on 34th Street, will reprise the role of Scrooge.
The production will run from Dec. 8–22: Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 2:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
From Dec. 16–21, mix, mingle, jingle and enjoy holiday music performed by talented vocalists during the Jingle Jangle Christmas Musical Review. Classics will include Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Snow, White Christmas and more.
“During the holidays, we all want a story that reminds us there is good in the world, that feels like warm cocoa beside a fire,” Fisher said. “And that’s what these performances do.”
Emerald Coast Theatre Company
560 Grand Blvd., Suite 200, Miramar Beach, FL
(850) 684-0323 | EmeraldCoastTheatre.org
