The Smoot Theatre will host several holiday-themed programs during this year's Christmas season during the month of December.
Reserved seats are available for all the shows and may be purchased by calling the Smoot at (304) 422-PLAY (7529).
The Smoot will present its annual "Hometown Christmas" at 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for students high school and younger.
The classic "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" will spotlight Bruce DeMoll on alto sax and Duane Flesher on piano. A Latin version of the spiritual "Go Tell It on the Mountain" is highlighted with Kent Jorgeson's trombone, as the band leads the audience into a rousing rendition of "Who's That Baby" sung by the men's ensemble from Stout United Methodist Church.
There will be a rendition of "O Holy Night" featuring lead trumpet player Ben Wright. The band will perform "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" using as the percussion section three members of the Edman family.
Along with the Smoot House Band, the show will feature a quintet from the Mid-Ohio Valley Ringers who will play a prelude of carols for the eveningás event. Singers Barbara Full, Marsha Parsons, Tim Wilson, Roger and Terry Bush, Dave Roberts and Su Meredith will provide vocals, flute students of Melissa Herceg will perform as well as the cello, flute, piano trio of Bob and Melissa Herceg and Kim Vineyard.
Members of the Smoot House Band include Bruce DeMoll, Tom Eschbacher, Steve McDougle, Randy Brannon, Bill Warfield, Kent Jorgeson, Eric Staats, Sheila Wiseman, Mike Dotson, Ben Wright, Patrick Norton, Les Paul, Harry Rich, Duane Flesher, Jeff Edman and Angie Harkness.
The next two shows of the year at the Smoot will be presented by the dancers of the Schrader Youth Ballet Company.
The Schrader dancers will present "Meet Mr. Nutcracker" at 10 a.m. Dec. 12. This show is an hour-long presentation designed to give students an introduction to both theatre and to ballet as they see an abbreviated version of "The Nutcracker." It is geared for school groups, but the public is also welcome, Jorgeson said. Seats for this show are $4 and reservations can be made by calling the Smoot.
The Schrader dancers will present their holiday show, "The Magic of Christmas," at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Smoot. The program includes a one-act version of "The Nutcracker" and two other short pieces. The cost is $12 for adults and $8 for students.
The final show of the 2008 will be the Smoot's 14th installment of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students high school and younger.
The musical has a cast of 35, a live pit orchestra, costumes that are wonderful and a bed that dances on stage. It is presented by the Nebraska Theatre Caravan
- Events on this date.