Photo Flash: The 25th Annual A BEEF & BOARDS CHRISTMAS Opens 11/24

A Beef & Boards Christmas, the dinner theatre's annual sparkling celebration of the season, marks its 25th year in 2017, opening on Nov. 24. This year's production is significant not only for its remarkable milestone, but also for the fact that it won't return in 2018.

"A Beef & Boards Christmas has been our own original Christmas greeting to our guests for 25 years," said Doug Stark, owner of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. "We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our audiences for making the show part of their holiday tradition."

Stark himself will be an integral part of this year's show, and will don the red suit to personally extend his heartfelt holiday wishes to all as Santa Claus.

Kenny Shepard, who has performed in A Beef & Boards Christmas since its second year, will once again be the featured host.

"I feel very honored to have been part of it for so many years and to be included in the big finale," he remarked. "I give a big thanks to Doug and Ron (Morgan, director and choreographer) and Eddie (Curry, artistic director) for including me on this most amazing ride! What a run!"

Other familiar faces will take the stage as well. Principal singers Kyle Durbin, Betsy Norton, and Peter Scharbrough all return from the 2016 production. They are joined by Marisa Rivera, who was just seen on stage as Anita in West Side Story. The featured singer for this milestone production will be Renée Jackson, who just made her Beef & Boards debut in Ghost, The Musical as Oda Mae Brown.

After this year's production, A Beef & Boards Christmas is going on a hiatus, Stark said. The variety show may return in a future season, but no definitive plans have been made. Opening up the holiday time slot allows Beef & Boards the opportunity to stage other seasonal productions the theatre's been eager to present to its audiences.

"Elf, The Musical is coming to our stage for the first time in 2018," Stark noted. "We hope to introduce even more families to Beef & Boards and become a part of their holiday tradition."

There are 36 performances of A Beef & Boards Christmas in the intimate atmosphere of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Tickets range from $42.50 to $67.50, and include Chef Odell Ward's holiday dinner buffet, fruit & salad bar, unlimited coffee, tea and lemonade. Ample free parking is also available.

For reservations, call the box office at 317.872.9664 anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays. For complete show schedule, visit beefandboards.com.

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