Christmas in August dinner theater presents western melodrama
The Sing Hosanna! annual Christmas in August dinner theater is back.
At noontime Aug. 11 at St. Peter's Parish Hall, the audience will get an opportunity to flash forward to Christmas but back in time with a rootin' tootin' western melodrama and a holiday dinner with the show “Rollin' in Dough in Mistletoe” (or “Don't Crack Jingle Bell Rock”) by Marietta Slater.
The setting is Christmas Eve in Mistletoe, a place where Rolland N. Dough is about to foreclose on the entire town. Can Randolph the Bowlegged Cowboy save the day and go down in history?
TommyLynn Kilian's character Holly Berry is about to lose her toy store to the bad guy.
The Connoquenessing 12-year-old who is a seventh grader at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, said: “The show is about the town of Mistletoe and the townspeople are trying to save their businesses from the evil villain.”
TommyLynn said she prefers the setting of the dinner theater to that of the a regular stage.
“I enjoy the dinner theaters because they are more intimate, and the audience gets to participate more,” she said.
She last appeared as Violet Beauregarde in “Willy Wonka Jr.” with the Sing Hosanna! group.
Another character who is losing her business to the villain is the mayor's wife, Carol Hall, being played by 11-year-old Kyleigh Spink of Butler Township.
“We own a Christmas tree farm and are about to lose everything to the evil Rolland N. Dough,” said Kyleigh, who said portraying someone's wife is challenging as a sixth grader.
“I enjoy playing this character because she has so many emotions,” she added.
Kyleigh is a student at Penn Christian Academy.
Their nemesis, Rolland N. Dough, is being portrayed by Trey Hixon, a ninth grader at Seneca Valley Intermediate High School.
For the role of the villain who wants to take over the town, the 14-year-old from Forward Township said he is trying to tackle being bad.
“I'm really a good guy. So it is a challenge to play a bad guy. I love being able to have fun and experiment with the character,” he explained.
Trey will be sharing the stage with his brother.
“This show is interesting because I am the bad guy and my brother, Isaac, is kind of the hero. It is fun playing against him. We have a lot of good physical comedy,” he noted.
Also starring in the show are Alayna Bestwick, Hannah Mazzeo and Lily Maschmeier.
The Christmas in August theme includes a Christmas dinner. The festive feast will feature ham loaf, baked potato, corn and rolls followed by holiday cookies.
WHO: Sing Hosanna!WHAT: Dinner theater show “Rollin' in Dough in Mistletoe” by Marietta SlaterWHEN: Noon, Aug. 11WHERE: St. Peter's parish Hall, 127 Franklin St.TICKETS: $22 for adults and $7 for children age 10 and younger, by reservation only due by Aug. 8. Tickets available from cast members or at May's Music Shoppe.INFO: 724-287-8362
