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Windsor Christmas-Community Playhouse to stage holiday musical to get town in spirit
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The Grandfather, played by Gil Moon, eats a turkey leg in the opening scene Tuesday during a dress rehearsal for the production of "A Windsor Christmas" at the Windsor Community Playhouse in Windsor.
BRET HARTMAN / photographers@mywindsornow.com
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Jennifer Moore, (Bio) jmoore@mywindsornow.com
November 28, 2007
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The real spirit of Christmas will ring on stage this weekend at the Windsor Community Playhouse.
Cast and crew of the musical "A Windsor Christmas" will perform for live audiences beginning 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and run through Dec. 7, 8 and 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at the playhouse, 561-A Garden Drive in Windsor.
The show is intended for all ages and will include famous holiday music and a storyline that will bring back some holiday moments and Christmas cheer.
Tim Bernhardt, the president of the playhouse, is the director of the musical and said this is a unique performance that will get everybody in the mood for the holiday season.
"I hope this Christmas show becomes a Windsor tradition," Bernhardt said. "I want it to be one of those things that brings the whole atmosphere of Christmas (into Windsor)."
The story dates back to December 1941 with a family (a mother, three children and a grandfather) who is trying to get through the holidays without their father/husband, who is stationed at Pearl Harbor. The radio is what keeps this family up to date on the war and other events in the country.
Several snippets from real radio shows, including "Lone Ranger" and "The Green Hornet" are reenacted throughout the performance and vocalists and instrumentalists help with the holiday sounds and music.
"This brings in the history and I try to bring in names of places in Windsor back then," Bernhardt said. "I think it's a really neat play and I'm really excited for this one. The storyline is going to be one people won't forget."
Windsor resident Monica Hatch plays the mother Ruth Smith and Gil Moon of Fort Collins, plays her father Howard Wilson. Both agree this show will bring back what Christmas is really about.
"It's a sweet, family story. I'm not sure we get those stories now a days. It's a family trying to stick together and make the best of the holidays," Hatch said. "I like it because the holidays can get so commercial and this is as far from commercial as it can get. This is about the true spirit of Christmas and the meaning behind the holidays."
"It will show what Christmas should really be," Moon said. "It has all the traditional songs, "Silver Bells" and "Jingle Bells." It's going to be about a hometown Christmas."
Bernhardt, who has been a part of the playhouse since 1996, said he watched a similar performance at his church several years ago and decided to rewrite this script with more characters and add more music to it. He believed it would be perfect to act on stage for the Windsor community and bring in a sense of family.
"It is about a time at war and we are at war now. There is some relationship with today from back then. When we involve the children, it really brings the family part out." Bernhardt said.
The cast has been working since the end of October.
"It's been quick to put a show together, but it's coming together really well. We've been meeting twice a week and the third night I have been meeting with just the vocalists," Bernhardt said. "The people involved have put a lot of work into it and I've appreciated what they have done."
Breakout: To Go
"A Windsor Christmas" musical 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Dec. 7, 8 and 2 p.m. Dec. 9. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children under 14 and discounts are available for groups with eight or more.
For more information, call (970) 674-1790 or visit www.windsorplayhouse.org.
Breakout: "A Windsor Christmas" Cast List
Cast
Grant Glesmann, Anthony Grisham, Monica Hatch, Gil Moon, Allison Moses and Jessica Sutton.
Vocalists/Instrumentalists
Mena Bernhardt, Maddy Burns, Dan Carey, Jim Carey, Eric Hatch, Amber Haws, Jessie Jerke, Tyler Mayle (piano), Larry McCarty, Diane Nielsen (flute), Shaun Parish (tenor sax), Kaitlyn Pernam, Ann Pratt, Margaret Ray, Christine Sturges, Susanne Sutton, Terri White, Loree Wilkinson and Ashley Wyatt.
Production Crew
Tim Bernhardt (Director), Duffy Laudick (Technical Director), Melissa O'Neil (Costumes), David Ray (Assistant Tech), Laurie Ray (Sets/Props), Lauri Sutton (Stage manager) and Beth Moses.
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