Prima Theatre's New Non-Traditional Show Keeps The Holiday's Fresh 

For those seeking an exciting and non-traditional holiday show, Prima Theatre's ON THE NAUGHTY LIST promises to be the freshest show of the season. "Think of it as a mash-up between a holiday concert with a comedic and provoking TED talk," says Prima's Executive Artistic Producer, Mitch Nugent.

The brand-new show features two singers and a speaker supported by projections, special effects, and set elements from Atomic Design of Rock Lititz. Live vocal performances include Donovan Hofer (America's Got Talent) and Asia Littlejohn (Lincoln Center soloist). Both recently were featured in Prima's production of "Queen/Journey."

The show includes contemporary pop and holiday songs, plus a unique digital musical appearance by the Bright Side Baptist Church Choir. April Mae Davis is the speaker, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with her MFA in Acting. She shares the hilarious and provocative talk that is the totality of the script.

The show's premise is that people on "the naughty list" change the world. "Which begs the question what list we want to be on," says Nugent. Mitch Nugent wrote the script in collaboration with Sara Dodson (Prima staff) and internationally-produced playwright Emily Goodson. Digging into the electrifying context of the Christmas story leads to enlightening revelations about what it means to be human. In a non-religious manner, ON THE NAUGHTY LIST offers a dose of universal inspiration and energy for the season.

Although the premise is poignant, comicality prevails throughout the show. "There's so much absurdity to the holidays," says speaker April Mae. "Let's be in on the joke together! Let's sing together a mad lib version of 12 Days of Christmas. Let's share some wild re-gifts! Let's look at the European tradition of placing a little pooping character in nativity scenes. What is that about?!"

For those who aren't put off by some mild adult language or a progressive perspective on a biblical character, culturally adventurous patrons of all ages will enjoy this show. Masks are required for audiences, and strong safety and sanitization protocols are in place at the theatre. ON THE NAUGHTY LIST plays on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM, December 3-18. Tickets start at $42 and are primarily seated at private tables. Details are available at primatheatre.org or by phone at (717) 327-5124.

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