Christmas shows abound in Southwest Florida theaters, but The Belle Theatre in Cape Coral has prepared a program like no other.
“We’re going to be starting off with a Christmas caroling segment," Production Manager Peyton McCarthy reported. “We have many of the people who come to the theater frequently that have put together some nice Christmas carols for everyone, and that will be the pre-'Charlie Brown' show.”
While the weather outside may not be frightful, what would caroling be without hot chocolate?
“[After the caroling], we’re going to open up the lobby for hot cocoa, cookies,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to really try to do cookie decorating if you have kids that want to come and do that. It will be a whole Christmas celebration, finished off with a ‘Charlie Brown Christmas.’”
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a faithful stage adaptation of the classic animated television special, complete with the world-famous Peanuts theme. McCarthy plays Charlie’s younger sister, Sally.
“So it’s a bunch of little, individual scenes and skits about the Peanuts trying to put on a Christmas play and Charlie Brown is the director, and everything goes horribly wrong,” said McCarthy. “And it finishes off with them picking out the classic Christmas tree that Charlie Brown finds, and it’s the small little tree with only a couple of branches, and they talk about the meaning of Christmas."
"It’s a really sweet replication of the Christmas classic,” McCarthy added.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” plays at The Belle Theatre in Cape Coral Dec. 18-22.
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Peyton McCarthy is production manager for the Belle Theatre. On the acting side, her stage credits include Billie Dwyer in “Unnecessary Farce” (Belle Theatre), Ruby Sue Bennett in “Four Old Broads” (Belle Theatre), Daisy Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby” (Fort Myers Theatre), Annelle in “Steel Magnolias” (which was her Fort Myers Theatre debut), Dr. Harriman in “Mind Games,” Mother in “Yellow Boat” and Siobhan in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
She relishes the role of Sally, who is “very obnoxious and very childish, and has some fun moments with Linus in the back half of the show that I really enjoy.”
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” holds a special place in Peyton’s heart.
“’A Charlie Brown Christmas’ was a really special part of Christmas for me growing up, and we watch it every year to this day,” said Peyton.
In fact, her mom raised her family on all the Peanuts classics, from Halloween and Thanksgiving to “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” “We watched them on every holiday and our house is covered with Peanuts decorations right now, so it’s a really special connection for me and my mom and my family.”
She’s not only excited to bring Sally to life for her mom, but also her extended family.
“Everyone in the show is truly part of the Belle family, so it feels like I’m performing the show with my family," McCarthy said.
Now entering its third season in the heart of Cape Coral, Belle Theatre has produced such popular musicals as “Heathers,” “Into the Woods,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Newsies,” “School of Rock,” “Disenchanted” and “Rent.”
For more, listen to “Belle Theatre enduring tribute to founder’s grandmother” and “The Belle Theatre becomes Southwest Florida’s first Penguin Project chapter”