The original musical “The Twelve Days of Christmas” presents some sage wisdom about how Christmas doesn’t just come out of a box or from the mall, and this wise message is brought to us from the mouths of children from the Whidbey Children’s Theatre.
The musical, written and directed by South Whidbey Island residents Suzanne Kelman and Dana Linn, with music by Mark Brymer, opens tonight and runs through Sunday.
The play is set at Bayview Corner on Whidbey Island and features a cast of children ages 7 to 10 who tell their story through song, some original and some Christmas carols, and drama, said Martha Murphy, founder and artistic director of Whidbey Children’s Theatre.
“It’s got a real local and regional flavor to it,” Murphy said. “It’s precious.”
The story line is that a group of California kids has come to the island for the holidays. They meet a group of South Whidbey kids, and there the lesson of Christmas begins, Murphy said.
“The California kids all have skateboards and iPods, and it’s really cute,” Murphy said.
“The Nutcracker”: The Olympic Ballet Theatre continues its presentation of the holiday classic at the Edmonds Center for the Arts on Saturday and Sunday.
This show has two featured artists from Broadway’s “Movin Out”: Whitney Simler and Corbin Popp, and includes all the favorites, such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Mother Ginger and a growing Christmas tree.
And more “Nutcracker”: This version of “The Nutcracker” is a traditional one that boasts an emphasis on the quality of the dancers of the Northwest Ballet Theatre, which will perform the classic this weekend in Bellingham and Tuesday and Wednesday in Mount Vernon.
The Northwest Ballet Theatre prides itself on being about dance and the choreography, artistic director John Bishop said.
“We try to keep it unabridged and do the complete ballet, much like Pacific Northwest Ballet does; that’s our focus. We really like to bring up the level of our dancers and all of the choreography,” Bishop said.
He said the intimate venue of McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon will be set up with wonderful backdrops and sets that enhance the visual aspects of the ballet, complete with a Christmas tree that grows.
Jordan Donahue, whom Bishop called an accomplished dancer at age 15, will play Clara. Jesse Thibodaux, a Western Washington University student who has danced for a number of years, will be the Nutcracker.
“He’s a very strong partner and exciting to watch,” Bishop said. “He really complements Jordan’s atmosphere on the stage.”
Scott Witte photo
Jordan Donahue dances with Northwest Ballet Theatre.
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