Director Randy Boothe likens Promised Valley Playhouse's annual holiday show, "The Gift of Christmas," to a string of Christmas jewels.
The show is a blend of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Santa's workshop, the "Nutcracker" ballet and a life-size Nativity, with guest artist Robert Peterson both acting in and narrating the sights, sounds, songs and stories of the season.Writer/director Boothe said an entirely new sequence is being added this year - a section adapted from Oscar Wilde's relatively unknown children's story, "The Selfish Giant."
Choreographer David Tinney has composed original music for the sequence, with Kurt Bestor handling the orchestrations.
Boothe said the new story concerns a selfish, old giant, who frightens young children. Mrs. Snow - a cross between Mary Poppins and Ma Kettle - comes kerthumping into his garden one day and unpacks all of her stuff, settling in for a long, long stay. This situation causes the giant to wonder why spring never arrives.
With the help of a 5-year-old boy, however, the giant has a wonderful experience.
The production's approach to Ebenezer Scrooge differs from most versions of "Scrooge," Boothe added. "The story is very concise and all of the elements are there, but he's seen through the eyes of the Bethlehem innkeeper."
Peterson plays both Scrooge and the innkeeper. By having the innkeeper realize that he - like Scrooge - could have changed on that miraculous night in Bethlehem, the audience experiences both the first Christmas and the Dickensian celebration.
Kristi Grover, who has had leads in productions at Sundance and Brigham Young University, is cast opposite Peterson in the show.
"She just recently graduated in music and dance from BYU and her voice is gorgeous, really phenomenal," said Boothe.
The director, who also conceived of the original "Gift of Christmas" production for the Playhouse, said "what got me going on this project years ago was when I was working with Bob Jani at Disney. He was vice president for both the Orlando and Anaheim parks and left Disney when he was hired to try to salvage the Radio City Music Hall, which was going through some difficult financial times."
For his first season, Jani mounted a magnificent Christmas show, which has turned into a traditional, spectacular event.
"He brought me back to New York to see the creative process and how it came together. I felt that Utah people could have a similar experience," said Boothe.
PERFORMANCES will be Tuesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 26-Dec. 23, with matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturdays (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, 11 and 18) and on Tuesday-Thursday, Dec. 21-23. All seats are reserved. Admission ranges from $7 in the balcony to $14 for dress circle seating. All matinee performances are $1 less and there is also a $1 discount for senior citizens, students and groups of 20 or more. Box office hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. For further information, contact the Promised Valley Playhouse box office at 364-5696, or stop at the theater, 132 S. State.