The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus
WHERE: The Growing Stage, The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong
TICKETS: $14 for children and seniors, $18 for adults. The Growing Stage also offers group rates and features several different birthday party packages. More information and reservations can be found on The Growing Stage website at www.growingstage.com
The holiday musical production is under the direction of playwright Stephen L. Fredericks, who adapted the book from the original story by L. Frank Baum. Music and lyrics are by Derek Dibbern and David Spellman with musical direction for the production under the direction of Laura Petrie and choreographed by Jillian Petrie.
Before the tale created by toy stores and corporations, L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, wrote down his own magical biography of the man called Santa Claus. As a young foundling he is raised by the Immortals who care for the plants and animals. He is taught to respect nature and to care for its beauty, but as he grows older, Claus yearns to know more of his “own kind.” He leaves the protection of the Immortals and finds that humans not only don’t respect nature, they are not too kind to each other either. He builds wonderful toys for the children of the village, but despite his good intentions, the Baron who is fixated on the need to work attempts to stop Claus from creating “useless distractions that stop progress!”
Written in 1902, two years after the Oz series began, Baum was inspired to write a tale that focused on the need for children to be allowed to imagine and for families to be given the time to spend together—at a time when many children and adults were forced to work exhausting hours to keep up with the demands of the new technological world. The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus celebrates the greatest gift we share with each other—love!
The production features the talents of professional artists Robert Mintz in the role of Claus; Danny Campos as the Baron of Lerd; Sahirah Johnson as Shiegra the lioness; and Tony Robinson reprising his role as the Great Auk. Also featured in the production is Lyndsey Brown of Flemington playing the role of Necile, the nymph who becomes mother to Claus; Dalton Allison of Andover as Peter Knook; Olivia Row of Sparta as Wisk the Fairie; Zac Baccaro of Succasunna as Nuter the Ryl; and Aaron Bennett of Randolph as Jack Frost.
The Growing Stage was founded in 1982, is a professional theatre member of the Association of Actor’s Equity with the mission to nurture the development of the performing arts through education, and to create, produce, and perform works that engage the entire family. The Growing Stage’s home, the Historic Palace Theater, is the only theater solely dedicated to professional theater for young audiences in New Jersey.
