Theatergoers have six choices for this week’s theater entertainment, including four shows on Christmas Day at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
“A Christmas Carol: The Musical” [Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre]: Ebenezer Scrooge with his infamous “Bah, Humbug!” takes the stage in this beloved musical. Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to show him cheerful memories from his past, cruel realities from his present and the very likely future. Scrooge learns important lessons about his impact on the lives of others, especially Bob Cratchit and his ailing son, Tiny Tim. This classic story captures the essence of the holidays and is perfect entertainment for the family. Performances are at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, the latter being the production’s closing show. [Lunch is available at 11:30 a.m. for the 1 p.m. show; dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show.]
“Another Night Before Christmas” [Off Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre]: 'Twas the night before Christmas…and there’s a “burglar” in the house, but his eyes twinkled, and his dimples were merry. A cynical social worker is about to have her humbug attitude turned upside down in this charming musical comedy. The show was last performed on the Off Broadway Palm stage in 2017. Performances are at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, the latter being the production’s closing show. [Lunch is available at 11:30 a.m. for the 1 p.m. show; dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show.]
“A Motown Christmas” [Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe]: Just about everyone enjoys some type of Christmas music during the holidays. And WBTT loves to present a special holiday show as its Christmas card to the community. Presented for the third time, “A Motown Christmas” will grace the main stage this year and have you dancing in your seat to select holiday tunes — the kind we all love singing along with. A Motown Christmas selects traditional favorite carols and pairs them with the company’s trademark mix of soulful, rocking hits from the Motown record company. Motown’s Barry Gordy had a vision that changed the music industry forever. This festive holiday revue is the culmination of that vision – a perfect blend of traditional Christmas carols paired with soulful songs made famous by such Motown celebrities as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and The Jackson 5. WBTT’s sizzling signature style makes this a most memorable Christmas treat that’s fun for the whole family. Performances are Friday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 p.m. [SOLD OUT]; Saturday, Dec.28 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. [SOLD OUT]; and Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. [SOLD OUT] and 7:30 p.m.
“Annie” [Fort Myers Theatre]: Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, “Annie” has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The book and score by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin features some of the greatest musical theater hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.” Performances are Monday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 26 at 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 29th’s closing 2 p.m. matinee.
“Fully Committed” [Florida Repertory Theatre in the Artstage Studio Theatre]: This funny one-man tour-de-force follows a day in the life of Sam (Kraig Swartz), an out-of-work actor manning the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan’s No. 1 restaurant. Coercion, threats, bribes, and histrionics – these desperate callers will stop at nothing to score a table! Amid the barrage of frantic diners, Sam deals with his own career and family drama. One actor plays forty roles in this outrageous and touching comedy. Performances are Thursday, Dec. 26 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec, 27 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m.
“Piccadilly” [The Laboratory Theater of Florida]: This world premiere is the type of story your grandparents never told you. The plot revolves around two American GIs on 10 days' leave in London at the end of the war in Europe who fall in love in unexpected ways, including, rare for that time, an interracial romance. World War II veterans will re-live their own experiences, and veterans of any war will find parallels to their own experiences on leave. Everyone else will experience what their grandfathers and grandmothers who were in the war never dared to tell them. Just five performances: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.