Joe Caruso to Lead Phoenix Productions' A CHRISTMAS STORY as the Old Man

Holmdel resident Joe Caruso will be playing a lead role in Phoenix Productions' upcoming November revival of A Christmas Story. This show will take place at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank for a two-weekend run beginning November 11th.

Joe is a well-known actor and familiar friend to the Phoenix family, as A Christmas Story marks his 20th show with Phoenix! Amongst his favorite roles are the Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and Harold Hill in The Music Man.

In A Christmas Story, Joe plays the Old Man, the devoted father and husband with a good heart and rough exterior. "For The Old Man, I find the character so different than in the movie," says Joe. "He has two very different sides: Grumpy Dad and Song and Dance Dad. His grumpiness is also a little goofy, at least the way I see it. I hope the audience goes with it!"

A Christmas Story is a new musical version of the classic movie comes to the Count Basie Theatre stage for the holiday season. A Christmas Story takes place in the 1940s in Indiana, and focuses on Ralphie, a daydreamer who spends his days counting down to Christmas and his dream present -- a Red Ryder BB Gun. All of the classic movie's best-loved moments are here, including the Old Man's leg-shaped lamp, the tongue-on-a-flagpole scene, the bunny suit, the Santa slide and, all of Ralphie's extravagant daydreams. Join Ralphie in his quest for his Red Ryder BB Gun at this big Broadway musical, complete with dazzling dance numbers and gorgeous sets -- but be careful not to "shoot your eye out"!

Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm, with its run concluding on November 20th. Tickets are available at the Count Basie Theatre Box Office and can be purchased in person at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, N.J, by phone at 732-842-9000, or online at www.countbasietheatre.org .

Phoenix Productions is a non-profit community theatre organization that has produced more than a hundred full-scale revivals of Broadway musicals since 1988. For more information on Phoenix Productions or upcoming shows, please visit www.phoenixredbank.com

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