ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Escanaba’s Players de Noc theatre group is kicking off December with its festive production of The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon.
“It takes six common tropes from all of these beloved, or behated, TV movies and puts them into one play,” said director Sara LaMarch. “There’s the meet-cute when our couples come together, then they have their complication, and—spoiler alert—they do find love at the end. “
The play features a large cast of familiar characters and common settings, like a young, attractive woman with no one to spend Christmas with and a festive, family-run inn at risk of shutting down. Two narrators guide the audience through each scene in a fun, interactive way.
Many small details were included in the set to bring each of the six simultaneous stories to life.
“I would love for the audience to find them, but some of them are pretty subtle,” LaMarch said. “Our books are all written by the guy who’s playing the author on the stage; our keys are the twelve days of Christmas. We’ve tried to do little things like that just to add those special little touches that you would expect to see in a Christmas movie.”
LaMarch says this production is a cozy, hilarious way to begin the holiday season.
“The movies are so predictable and, as such, people know what to expect,” she said. “You’re going to get all of that, but just a huge explosion of personality added to it. These characters are larger than life. It’s fun, it’s festive, it’s family-friendly. Come see the show, you’re going to love it!”
You can catch The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon at the Bonifas Theater at 7:30 p.m. on December 1, 2, 7 – 9, or at 1:30 p.m. on December 3. Tickets cost $16 and are available here.
