The Cayman Drama Society is presenting its annual ‘Playhouse Family Christmas’ production, titled, ‘A Magical Country Christmas’, with Frizz and Grizz and all the gang.
This year, the cast is invited out to the countryside, where they meet Christmas spirits and share the joy of the Christmas season.
“Every year is magical to us really, and we’ve had some amazing settings over the years,” Sue Howe, the production’s creator, writer and director, told the Cayman Compass.
“This year we hope we have achieved the feeling of being somewhere really quaint and cozy. Shayne Howe has once again designed us a beautiful set, and the Phoenix and S.W.P crews did such a lovely job of creating a warm, and what we feel is a magical setting to escape to for people coming to see the show. We hope that people feel the warmth of being in the country for Christmas,” she said.
Along with Frizz (played by Sue Howe) and Grizz (played by Gabrielle Wheaton), the two-act Christmas variety show features a 30-member cast, 11-member crew and a lively set of characters, including toy soldiers, angels, wise men, penguins, and, of course, the beloved Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
‘Labour of love’
“We are, as usual, a big Christmas family. We have some new faces this year, and they have been absolutely wonderful to work with,” Howe said.
“Everyone has put in a lot of time, energy and commitment, and we’ve really had a great time working together. The show is always a labour of love for everyone involved. It’s always a big undertaking, and we give our all with the hopes of making people happy.”
The show features songs including ‘Dear Santa’, ‘It’s Finally Christmas’, ”Twas the Night Before Christmas’, ‘Christmas in the Country’, ‘Cayman Islands Christmas’, ‘Frosty the Snowman’, and ‘Christmas the Whole Year Round’.
Howe said, “We have some large group songs, which is always fun and full of energy. As always, we want people to feel the spirit of Christmas and to feel like they have been invited to a party. Hopefully, they will enjoy the songs, the setting and the characters, as Frizz and Grizz and all the gang embark on another Christmas adventure. We really want people to have fun. We always aim for that.”
When it comes to the annual production, Howe said, the hope is for people to take away with them, “the feeling of joy and the spirit of the Christmas season”.
“Our goal is always to create some Christmas magic and give the best gift we can to the community. We hope that people feel the love we strive to share,” she added.
Sold out
The production, now in its 10th year, being held on weekends through 15 Dec., is once again a sold-out affair.
Kirsty O’Sullivan, Cayman Drama Society’s artistic director and production support, told the Compass there won’t be any extended shows.
“Our shows are run by volunteers who give up countless hours over the holiday season to be onstage, backstage, running the bar, the box office, and everything else in between. With the rehearsals starting in October, the cast and crew have given up evenings and weekends for a long time by the time the audience sees the show,” she said.
She added, “They miss Christmas work nights out and family celebrations to provide this entertainment for you, and we don’t want to ask them to stretch that kindness further or have them end up run down by the time Christmas itself rolls around. We are always sad for those who don’t manage to get tickets, but we have added shows as the years have gone by and the population has grown alongside us too, so it has to stop somewhere.”
Ticket holders who do not plan to attend are encouraged to contact Cayman Drama Society, as it has a high volume of people hoping to share in the Christmas magic too. It says it would happily give a refund and resell those tickets to another family wishing to see the show.
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