Center Theatre Christmas productions sparkle

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Center Theatre kicked off the holiday season on Friday, Dec. 12, with the premier of the theatre’s Classic Family Christmas. The lucky audiences in attendance get to see two different productions. The first is the “Seussified Christmas Carol” directed by David Murray followed after an intermission by an adaptation of “The Velveteen Rabbit” directed by Mathias Ringle.

    The “Seussified Christmas Carol” brings the classic Dickens tale to life with a distinctly Seussified twist. The 20 children in the show rhyme their way through this delightful production with more costume changes than you can count. Throughout the production the kids in the cast shine with their smiles, their songs and the laughs they gave the audience. The Seussified scenery goes through a remarkable transformation during intermission to set the stage for “The Velveteen Rabbit”.
    This adaptation of the classic children’s book by Margery Williams, written by Andrew Frodahl, introduces us to the story with a mix of live actors and puppets. But don’t think of a weekend puppet show in a church basement, these are finely crafted creatures brought to life by talented puppeteers. Within moments you forget about the puppeteers and join in the magic and fun of the performance. It’s a delight seeing these toys from childhood brought to life in much the same way as the Velveteen Rabbit becomes real by the end of the play. Adults and children will find something to love in this production.
    Both shows will be presented three more times. Tickets are on sale for the remaining productions on Friday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 20 at 2 and 7 p.m.
    The Center Theatre also has many other Christmas offerings this season. On Dec. 16 the theatre is presenting “From Here to Eternity” at 1 and 5 p.m. with food available at intermission. This powerful musical is at the theatre for one day only. The Center Theatre will also be presenting the classic Christmas movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” on Dec. 17 at 3 and 7 p.m. and in the spirit of the season, the performances will be free to the public. The theatre will also be presenting the hit children’s movie “The Penguins of Madagascar” from Dec. 21-25.
    More information can be found at www.centertheatre.org or 564-8943.