The Tower Theatre Foundation brings five decades of Christmas traditions and winter memories to downtown Bend in three special performances December 21-22. The original production A Tower Christmas: Holiday Cheer Through the Years showcases popular stories, dances and songs, performed by Central Oregon’s leading actors and community personalities. Tower Christmas is part of the Marquee Series, featuring live community theatre productions, sponsored by U.S. Bank and BendBroadband.
Producer Brad Ruder, Director Mike Nowak and Musical Director Scott Michaelsen (Spitfire Grill, Bend Follies, Les Miserables), have assembled a nostalgic and humorous look at holiday incarnations from decades past:
• Cascade Chorale’s Steven Livingston in A Christmas Story montage
• KQAK’s Dave Clemens reads How the Grinch Stole Christmas (played by Tommy Kuchulis)
• The Bend Children’s Choir performs All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
Local musicians Shantae Knorr, Heather Tennant-Salvesen, Ben Larson and Nathan Snyder raise their voices in Christmas medleys from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s.Gotta Dance performs The Drifters’ White Christmas. And—spoiler alert!—St. Nick (aka attorney Terry Rahmsdorff) makes a special guest appearance.
“Plus, four stars of recent stage productionsshare their renditions of seasonal classics from the 1980s and 90s,” said Ruder.
• Mollie Tennant (Spamalot) reinterprets The Carpenters’ Merry Christmas, Darlin’
• Ryan Klontz (Les Miz) sings Michael Buble’s All I Want for Christmas is You
• Kimmie Fountain (The Producers) delivers Kathy Mattea’s Mary, Did You Know?
• Jim Knox (Les Miz) croons Alabama’s Christmas Shoes
“We wanteveryone in Central Oregon to remember those carols, scenes and stories that—as the song goes—make Christmas the most wonderful time of the year,” said Nowak. “So, come to Bend’s living room, the Tower Theatre, and enjoy some holiday cheer.”
541-317-0700 or TowerTheatre.org
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