The first of this season's flood of Christmas productions are opening this week, including one that is already sold out.

"THE OTHER WISE MAN," Ruth Perry's stage adaptation of Henry Van Dyke's classic 1896 short story, is being presented Friday through Dec. 17 by the Academy Theatre Company, 3188 S. 400 East.

The story of the Nativity tells of the three wise men and their travels to bring gifts to the infant Jesus, but author-clergyman Van Dyke details a fourth wise man, Artaban, who sells all of his belongings and begins a journey to join the other three Magi. His travels are interrupted and his journey ends 33 years later in Jerusalem during the Passover.

Directed by Collin Kreuzer, the cast includes Mark Hanson as Artaban, Marie Jackson as Sarah, Jeff Spafford as Beor and Ida Petrick as Hannah.

Performances are Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for children and senior citizens (898-2728). Limited "preferred seating" is available for an additional $5-$10.

"SAVIOR OF THE WORLD," based on scriptural accounts of the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is returning to the LDS Church's Conference Center Theater, located directly west of the Conference Center.

All 29 performances are sold out but there will be a standby line at the box office prior to each performance for any tickets that may be available. Tickets are $8 for all evening performances and $5 for matinees.

It opens Friday and continues through Dec. 31. A list of dates and curtain times is online at www.lds.org/events/info/1,8197,726-1-562,00.html.

"BAH, HUMBUG! SCROOGE'S CHRISTMAS CAROL," presented by the Farmington City Arts Council's Youth Theatre troupe, is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Community Arts Center, 120 S. Main. There will also be one matinee on Saturday at 1 p.m. Tickets are $3 each or $10 per family (up to five persons). They're available at the door, or in advance by calling the Leisure Services Department at 451-0953.


HOLIDAY CALENDAR — Following is a list of other Christmas and holiday-oriented productions coming up this season:

Nov. 25: "Home for the Holidays" (Desert Star Dinner Theater)

Nov. 25-Dec. 30: "It's a Wondrous Life: A Christmas Night" (Off Broadway Theater)

Nov. 25-Dec. 23: "The Forgotten Carols" (Provo Theatre Company)

Nov. 25-Dec. 23: "The Other Wise Man" (Rodgers Memorial Theatre, Centerville)

Nov. 25-Dec. 23: "A Christmas Carol" (Center Street Musical Theatre, Provo)

Nov. 25-Dec. 23: "Scrooge, A Christmas Carol" (Terrace Plaza Playhouse, Ogden)

Nov. 26-Dec. 27: "A Christmas Carol" (Hale Centre Theatre, West Valley City)

Nov. 26-Dec. 19: "Here's Love" (Alpine Playhouse)

Nov. 26-Dec. 10: "Best Christmas Pageant Ever" (West Jordan Theater Arts)

Dec. 1-23: "A Christmas Carol" (Hale Center Theater Orem)

Dec. 1-23: "Merry Christmas, George Bailey" (Bountiful Performing Arts Center)

Dec. 2-20: "Christmas in the Heart of Every Child" (Draper Historic Theater)

Dec. 2-22: "Madeline's Christmas" (Children's Theatre of Salt Lake)

Dec. 2-17: "It's a Wonderful Life" (Heritage Theatre, Perry)

Dec. 2-13: "A Christmas Carol" (Old Barn Community Theater, Collinston)

Dec. 3-17: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" (StageRight TheaterCompany)

Dec. 8: "Favorite Christmas Stories" (Babcock Performing Readers)

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Dec. 8-30: "The Santaland Diaries" (Tooth & Nail Theatre Company, Rose Wagner Center)

Dec. 9-19: "A Christmas Carol: On the Air" (Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City)

Dec. 10-20: "The Farley Family Xmas" (Ragan Theatre, Utah Valley State College, Orem)


E-mail: ivan@desnews.com

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