Gulf Theater is a 247-seat auditorium located in the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda.
There are no dressing rooms for actors, no wings and a small stage. It’s actually designed for lectures, film and musical performances. But last year, 7Mary34 performed “White Christmas” there anyway. When they were invited to return this season, Trace Talley chose a less ambitious show, “A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol.”
“We were looking for a show that fit the space a little bit better, that was a little more intimate, and yet, didn’t feel like a Christmas concert,” said Talley. “And this really fit the bill quite well. It’s a smaller cast. The set is very minimal. It’s a radio station. It’s a radio broadcast and so they hold their scripts. It worked really well in the space.”
The story revolves around radio performers called the Feddington Players. With the rise of television following the war, they’ve have been relegated to broadcasting from a makeshift studio in a Jersey City hotel. Spirits undampened, they decide to bring in a famous stage and screen actor to portray Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
“During the sort of madcap antics that happen in the radio broadcast, [William] St. Clair, the Hollywood actor, has a breakdown and identifies with Scrooge because of the loss of his son, and the cast has to improvise and take over and they end up rescuing Tiny Tim and the Lindbergh baby from a Nazi [named Rudolph].”
“A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol” is a comedy and a rousing musical.
“There’s four new songs that were written by the folks that wrote ‘High School Musical,’ and then there’s some other arrangements of classical Christmas songs, which has been tough for the cast too because they know ‘Carol of the Bells’ the way everybody knows it, but there’s a different arrangement so they have to unlearn that and work through it.”
There are just three performances with two remaining, December 5, 6 and 7 at 7 p.m.
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“A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol” is the sequel to “The 1940s Radio Hour.” It has been performed in over 100 productions in the United States, Canada, and U.K.
“High School Musical” lyricist Faye Greenberg and composer David Wohl have written four delightful period songs for the Feddington Players, along with swing arrangements of many Christmas standards.
“At its heart,” Talley noted, “’A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol’ is really about the things that we do for each other to bring comfort, whether that’s joy at Christmas time, or comfort during times of sorrow. The characters in the show really love each other. They all have regular jobs, but they do this because they love each other, really do want to be there and enjoy producing something that people listen to and enjoy.”
The story is also an excursion into the mayhem and madness that often attends a live radio broadcast.
“It’s got a really nice Christmas cheer to it, and there’s some really moving scenes in it throughout the zany nature of what’s going on, with toilets flushing during the show and lights going out and everybody screaming at each other,” Talley said. “If you’re looking for a Christmas show that will make you laugh and still leave you with a warm feeling, this is the one, and you’ve only got three shots at it.”
Located just two blocks east of Fishermen’s Village, the Military Heritage Museum and its 247-seat Gulf Theater is just a short walk along a scenic pathway with great harbor views.
“The theater generally does live music, but a couple of times a year we do theatrical productions there,” said Talley. “7Mary34 will take productions in and sort of adapt them to the space, like ‘White Christmas’ last year.”
Following “A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol,” Gulf Theater will produce “A Three Tenors Christmas” by Terry Barber (Sunday, Dec. 8), “Christmas with Barbra: Featuring Sharon Owens” (Wednesday, Dec. 11), “A Christmas to Remember: Young Original in Concert” (Friday, Dec. 13), “Christmas with Rat Pack Now! (Wednesday, Dec. 18) and “A ‘Calyp-Sou’ Christmas Songs of the Season Featuring John Patti and Carrie Welling” (Friday, Dec. 20).
The theater was recently upgraded with the latest audiovisual, stage lighting and sound equipment, along with a 4K projector. The investment of $100,000 also included new handrails, a professionally designed stage floor and an orchestra pit area. Supporting the theater are several reception areas including indoor and outdoor seating for up to 100, a set-up kitchen and other amenities.
The theater is named for War of 1812’s theater of war that took place throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
To accommodate lectures, classes and business training workshops, each of the theater’s 247 seats has a fold-up writing table. Live-streaming equipment is available for broadcasting programs online as well as high-speed internet access and free Wi-Fi.