Open Stage's SANTALAND to Run 12/18-28

Crumpet is back by popular demand! And nothing says "holiday spirit" like temper tantrums and sozzled Santas! Open Stage once again mixes up their offerings this holiday season with mature fare in David Sedaris' wickedly funny THE SANTALAND DIARIES, playing December 18-28 for eight performances only. Open Stage regular and staff member Stuart Landon will once again don the green velvet elf costume in the second revival of this one-man show.

In 1992, brilliant American humorist David Sedaris debuted THE SANTALAND DIARIES on National Public Radio, delighting listeners with a cheeky look back at his experience of moving to New York City and finding a job as Crumpet the Elf at Macy's SantaLand. Four years later, Tony Award-winning director Joe Mantello (Love! Valour! Compassion!, Wicked, The Vagina Monologues, Glengarry Glen Ross) adapted the short story into a one?man show that has since become a modern Christmas classic. Sedaris has received great critical acclaim, including being named Humorist of the Year by Time Magazine in 2001. In 2004, two of Sedaris' works were nominated for Grammy Awards: his reading of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim was nominated for Best Spoken Word Album, and Live at Carnegie Hall was nominated for Best Comedy Album.

The play's main character, David, arrives in the Big Apple with grand hopes of "going straight from Penn Station to the offices of One Life to Live" and becoming a famous soap opera writer. With his lofty career aspirations quickly frustrated, however, he accepts a dare from his roommate and applies for a job as a department store elf. David's journey takes the audience through the application process; his days of Elf Training; and an entire holiday season filled with thousands of visitors to SantaLand, a variety of difficult Santas, the politics of dealing with elf coworkers, and his struggle to survive an often humiliating job during the crassest, most over-­? commercialized, and sometimes depressing time of year without losing his sanity or heart.

"Even if you've seen THE SANTALAND DIARIES before, you've never seen it like this," said Executive Artistic Director Donald L. Alsedek, who is directing the comedy. "You owe it to yourself to see Stuart Landon in candy cane tights."

"What makes THE SANTALAND DIARIES so delicious," expounds Landon. "is that underneath the cynical surface of the Sedaris world view lies the cream filling of redemption: it's not too late. But the SANTALAND dish is slathered in hot sauce and won't rot your teeth."

Stuart Landon is a proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma A. Max Weitzenhoffer Department of Musical Theatre. In addition to THE SANTALAND DIARIES, Landon has appeared at Open Stage in CLYBOURNE PARK (Steve), FROST/NIXON (David Frost), A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES (Thomas), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Seymour), WELL, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (Hedwig), DOUBT (Father Flynn), [title of show] (Hunter), and COURT STREET CABARET. His productions with other regional theatres include LUCKY STIFF, OKLAHOMA!, THE FULL MONTY, CLUE, INTO THE WOODS, THE ODD COUPLE, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, NUNSENSE A-MEN, FOREVER PLAID, MY WAY, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, HAIR, and CHESS. Landon has also worked at Millbrook Playhouse, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City, Findlay Summer Stock and Houston's Theatre Under the Stars.

Performances of THE SANTALAND DIARIES take place December 18 - 28 at Open Stage of Harrisburg's intimate Angino Family Theatre, located at 223 Walnut Street on the street (S) level of the Walnut Street Garage in downtown Harrisburg. The street entrance is off of Court Street. The theatre lobby opens one hour prior to performance.

Performance Schedule:
Thu 12/18 - 8 pm
Fri 12/19 - 8 pm
Sat 12/20 - 8 pm
Sun 12/21 - 2 pm
Mon 12/22 - 7:30pm
Tue 12/23 - 7:30pm
Sat 12/27 - 8 pm
Sun 12/28 - 2 pm

Opening Night Performance & Party: December 18
Running time: 80 min.

Admission is $25-35 Regular and $21 Student (with valid ID)
Online: www.openstagehhbg.com
By Phone: 717-232-OPEN (6736)
In Person: at the Open Stage Box Office, located at the theatre, 223 Walut St. (Hours: M-F, 12:00-2pm)

THE SANTALAND DIARIES is recommended for mature audiences due to language.

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