Santa Claus is heading to Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, not just in spirit, but on stage in the children’s holiday musical, “Santa Claus: The Musical.”
The production is running through Sunday, Dec. 21, and is described by Theatre Jones as “a toe-tapping, joyous musical extravaganza,” making it an ideal holiday treat for all ages. It features a cast of professional actors from the Rock Island theater.
The story centers on Santa’s decision to retire after 1,000 years of service, leading to complications when not all of the elves are happy with his chosen replacement, the website designer Nicholas. With the help of his tech-savvy daughter Beatrice, Nicholas must prepare to take over Santa’s sleigh before the next Christmas. The show is packed with original Christmas music and colorful costumes.
“Santa Claus: The Musical” has a book by Noah Putterman and music and lyrics by David Christensen and Luke Holloway. Arts Wave hailed it as “a jolly good time with a lesson to boot that should absolutely be part of your holiday traditions.”
The musical offers both show-only and brunch performances. Show-only performances at 10 a.m. (doors open at 9:30 a.m.) are scheduled for Dec. 6, 9, 12, 13, 18 and 20. There will also be a 1 p.m. show-only performance (doors at 12:30 p.m.) on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Brunch performances at noon (doors at 10:45 a.m., food served at 11 a.m.) are scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 7, 14 and 21.
Ticket prices for $15 for show-only, while brunch-show prices range from $23-$28. For tickets and information, contact the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse at 1828 3rd Ave. in Rock Island or call (309) 786-7733, ext. 2. Seats also can be reserved at circa21.com.
