CHRISTMAS CITY FOLLIES Returns In-Person This Holiday Season to Touchstone

Touchstone Theatre announces Christmas City Follies XXII, the theatre's annual holiday-themed variety show, to be performed December 2-19, 2021. Shows will take place in Touchstone's home black box theatre.

A favorite of Lehigh Valley residents past and present, many locals and tourists alike have come to count Christmas City Follies as part of their holiday tradition, coming out to Touchstone for an evening of original sketches, characters, songs, stories, and more. The show traditionally ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous, with subject matter that has included family stories, dancing hippos, snow camels, holiday yoga, and kazoo-playing Christmas trees.

Last season, amidst necessary safety restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Touchstone elected to create Follies as a movie, bringing its eclectic cast of characters directly to audience's homes via YouTube. Scenes were shot primarily outdoors at distance, or "by pod," and edited together for a pre-Christmas release. This year, the Touchstone company celebrates a return to in-person Follies performances.

"Presence and interaction are at the heart of what we do at Touchstone," shares Artistic Director Jp Jordan. "Being able to be back in the theatre with live audiences is the best present we could receive this year!"

Like most area theatres, Touchstone has set health and safety guidelines to help keep patrons and performers safe during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Precautions include reduced capacity, universal masking for everyone in the audience, and a requirement to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test from within 72 hours. All performers and company members are fully vaccinated. Patrons are encouraged to read up on the full details of Touchstone's COVID-19 policy at touchstone.org.

Touchstone's MFA student company will also be performing an in-person "mini Follies" at outdoor holiday events around Bethlehem. Performances will take place on Saturday, November 27th at the Historic Bethlehem Museum and Sites' 1750 Smithy, the Sun Inn Courtyard's Wintergarten, and the South Side Arts District's New St. Christmas Tree. This bite-sized Follies is free, runs approximately 15 minutes, and features seasonal tunes and holiday mayhem. Touchstone's MFA in Performance Creation is a program in partnership with Moravian University.

Christmas City Follies is sponsored by Peoples Security Bank and Trust; the show receives additional support from the County of Northampton and First Generation. Touchstone's season is supported locally by season sponsor RCN. WDIY provides media sponsorship, and Working Dog Press provides print sponsorship.

Christmas City Follies XXII performs December 2-19, with shows at 8pm on Thursdays-Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays, with an additional 2pm performance on Saturday, December 18. Tickets are $25, with $15 tickets for students/seniors and the option to Pay-What-You-Will at the door on Thursdays. Tickets are available at 610.867.1689 or online at touchstone.org

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