I remember how excited I would get when the local TV stations would start adding such Holiday classics as “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” to their December programming schedule. I loved it when George Bailey ran through the town of Bedford Falls, yelling “Merry Christmas” or when the postal carriers brought bags of mail addressed to Santa Claus to be delivered to Kris Kringle, during his sanity trial. But, as beloved as these moments are on the small screen, they are truly memorable when you get the opportunity to see them performed live onstage by some of Greenville’s most talented actors!
Perhaps no story signals the start of the Holiday season as much as “It’s a Wonderful Life”. On everyone’s list of Holiday favorites, this time-honored story of George Bailey and his journey of self-realization will be performed at the Greenville Little Theatre starting December 7 and run through December 16. Performances take place at 8PM every Thursday through Saturday evening, with Sunday matinee performances at 3PM. Tickets range from $20 to $30. For more information, visit www.greenvillelittletheatre.org.
Running a close second on the list of Holiday family favorites, in my opinion anyway, has to be “Miracle on 34th Street”. This tale of a little girl’s disbelief in Santa has been retold several times on the big screen and is enjoying a creative revival onstage. Currently performed every Thursday through Sunday at Centre Stage, this production will run until December 22. Performances are at 8PM, with the exception of Sunday performances, which are at 3PM. Tickets range from $15 to $30 and can be purchased through http://centrestage.org.
The South Carolina Children’s Theatre is offering its own version of a childhood twist on a popular Christmas carol. Junie B. and her first grade classmates are back again in “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”. With weekend performances at the Peace Center Gunter Theatre (from now until December 16), this hilarious sing-a-long will delight kids and kids at heart! Performances are at 7PM on Fridays, 1:30PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $26 for adults and $17 for children under 18. For more information, see http://scchildrenstheatre.org.
The Warehouse Theatre is offering a “plethora” of Holiday stories, certain to become classics. The first is the kid-friendly, “The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t”. This delightful musical, adapted from Odgen Nash’s poem of the same name, will be performed starting December 7 at 6:30PM on Thursdays and Fridays and 3PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Performances run through December 29 and tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under the age of 15. Adults needn’t feel left out of the Holiday fun…WHT has something for you too! Two short plays by David Sedaris, “Santaland Diaries” and “Season’s Greetings” offer a cheeky, and definitely adult, look at the Holiday season and are based on Sedaris’ own experiences with his family and as one of Santa’s Elves at Macy’s in NYC. Performances of these two “tongue definitely in cheek” comedies begin December 7 and run until the 29th. Thursday & Friday performances will take place at 8:30PM with Saturday and Sunday performances taking place at 8PM. Tickets are $30 and these performances are for adults only. For more information on these and other performances, visit www.warehousetheatre.com.
Café & Then Some can always be counted on for tickling our satirical funny bone and the Holidays are no exception! Norma Jean invites you to join her and her “over-extended” family as they stumble through the real meaning of Christmas in “Merry Christmas, Y’all”. Performances of this dinner theatre take place every Wednesday through Saturday, with the CATS crew taking the stage around 8PM-ish. Come early for dinner, which is served from 6:30-7:30PM. Tickets are $18 (for the show only) and reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, to purchase tickets or make reservations, visit www.cafeats.com.
So there you have it…A little something for everyone! Why wait for TBS or TCM to run these Holidays favorites on TV, when you can see them performed live. Holiday entertainment from the family-friendly to the not-so-family friendly…and from the classic to the future cult classics. Whatever you are in the mood for this Holiday season, chances are, it’s on a stage near you in Downtown Greenville. Happy Holidays, Y’all!
downtowngreenvillegirl 