Review: SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is Musical and Merry!

SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, created, directed, and choreographed by Amy Marie McCleary, tells a new yet still very nostalgic Christmas story.

SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS is about a family celebrating the holiday season together on Christmas Eve, during which the Mom (Katherine Walker Hill) tells her family about a Christmas tale she has known since she was young: the story of Pointdexter the elf and his journey to build a playlist of Christmas songs for Santa's Christmas Eve flight. Something I really enjoyed about this show was that it had a lot of modern references and details that audience members young and old can appreciate. Though it may not be a Christmas story anyone has heard before, I think it could easily become a new classic.

In addition to Katherine Walker Hill playing the Mom, the family members include Troy Bruchwalski as the Dad, and at my performance, Annika Veldhuyzen van Zanten as Olivia, and Eli Veldhuyzen van Zanten as Sam. I really liked seeing their on-stage family dynamic; it was heartwarming to witness Olivia's journey through the show as she joined in on the Christmas fun after initially being reluctant and angry to have to spend time with her family.

Santa is played by Victor Legarreta, Mrs. Claus by Shannon Connolly, Pointdexter by Joel Libed, and Candy Cane by Danielle Poznanovic. Legarreta and Connolly are Broadway Palm favorites for a reason; they are both very talented performers, and I always appreciate their comedic timing. Libed and Poznanovic were so, so great together. Not only were they both fantastic vocally, but their characters really grew together in this show, and I thought they had great chemistry. It was a joy to watch their journey together as Libed's Pointdexter learned to loosen up and enjoy Christmas fun while he built the perfect playlist for Santa.

The ensemble in this production is wonderful. They have a lot of different parts to play throughout the show, and lots of choreography. This is a very dance-heavy show (which I loved), and I have to commend them for keeping a high energy level through the whole thing. From elves to reindeer and beyond, they all worked incredibly well together to make this show so lively and spirited.

Filled with many classic Christmas songs with new twists, a very fun storyline, lots of fantastic dancing, and an abundance of holiday spirit, I'd most definitely recommend checking out SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS while it's playing at Broadway Palm.

SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS is playing now through December 25 at Broadway Palm. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees. Tickets are $48 to $73 with children and group prices available. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com, or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

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