World Premiere of Brand-New Holiday Panto, HOLLYSTALK, is Coming to The Ritz Theatre Company

This Christmas, The Ritz Theatre Company is proud to present the world premiere production of its second-ever original holiday panto, Hollystalk (Or, How a Giant of a Mistake Became the Best Christmas Surprise!), a fast-paced and fun-filled musical romp inspired by Great Britain's beloved theatrical tradition of holiday pantomime. The much-anticipated show runs at The Ritz from December 1st through December 17th.

"After [composer and lyricist] Brian Bacon and I found success in creating an original holiday panto two Christmases ago (you may remember The Absolute Fantastical Adventures of Cindy Ella and the Once and Future Golden Christmas Goose in the Joyous Years That Followed the Never-Ending Plague; long title and all), we knew we wanted to try for a repeat performance with a second piece," explains writer and director Bruce A. Curless. "And so I came up with a basic plot and storyline. Again fashioning our work on the proverbial British panto, I first created my stock characters: The Dame (which is always a drag role), The Juvenile, The Ingénue, The Magic Character, The Villain, The Clown(s), and an animal of some sort. We then decided on what classic fairy tales to have intertwine and clash together. This year we settled on Jack and the Beanstalk and Alice in Wonderland."

Christmas pantomimes are embedded in British culture and are considered a holiday "must" for many British families. Perhaps best categorized for American audiences as big, boisterous, entertaining musical comedies, the British pantomime genre takes famous children's fairytales and turns them into shows full of holiday frolics and shenanigans. Although the stories may be classics, the jokes are always contemporary so that they are understood by the modern audience. There are also plenty of innuendos that make the adults giggle, and audience participation regardless of age is greatly encouraged.

"Being a big fan of improv, it makes some sort of sense that my writing style is very improvisational," says Mr. Curless. "In other words, I start making up a story and then let my little warped brain take it wherever it wants to go. I sometimes go back and doctor things up or twist and turn events and when I finish... well, that's the story! I shared my story with Brian, and, between the two of us, we decided where there should be a song. In some cases, I had to adjust the dialogue to complement the song, and sometimes I had to change things entirely. Brian's work is really brilliant! I love his melodies and rhythms and his lyrics are inspired."

Like its British forebears (not to mention Cindy Ella...), Hollystalk sets out to be as merry and magical as possible, a true holiday treat for audiences of all ages, with hilarity and hijinks aplenty from start to finish. The production features Matthew Weil as Mrs. G, Steven Brandt as The Bean Seller, Jonah Matthew Phillips as Jack, Lisa Krier as Bo Peep, Jared Iafolla as George the Cow, Lori Aleixo-Howard as Gladys, Kacy Hofstetter as Mildred, Alan Krier as Tweedle Dee, Brian Gensel as And, Yeshua Irizarry as Tweedle Dum, and Amanda Lizzio as The Giant. All are excited to debut this brand-new holiday musical.

"The process of creating a new work continues throughout the entire rehearsal process, using input from the production team and the actors working on the piece," concludes Mr. Curless. "What you will see is the culmination of all that hard work! We hope you enjoy!"

PERFORMANCE DETAILS: 

The Ritz Theatre Company Presents
Hollystalk (Or, How a Giant of a Mistake Became the Best Christmas Surprise!)
December 1 - December 17, 2023

Written and Directed by Bruce A. Curless
Music Written and Directed by Brian Bacon
Choreography by Kate Orlando

Cast
Matthew Weil as Mrs. G
Steven Brandt as The Bean Seller
Jonah Matthew Phillips as Jack
Lisa Krier as Bo Peep
Jared Iafolla as George the Cow
Lori Aleixo-Howard as Gladys
Kacy Hofstetter as Mildred
Alan Krier as Tweedle Dee
Brian Gensel as And
Yeshua Irizarry as Tweedle Dum
Amanda Lizzio as The Giant

Production Team
Matthew Weil - Scenic Design
Jen Donsky - Lighting Design
Megan Iafolla - Costume Design
Lisa Palena - Stage Manager

Performance Dates & Times
Friday, December 1 at 8:00pm
Saturday, December 2 at 8:00pm
Sunday, December 3 at 2:00pm
Wednesday, December 6 at 7:30pm
Friday, December 8 at 8:00pm
Saturday, December 9 at 8:00pm
Sunday, December 10 at 2:00pm
Wednesday, December 13 at 7:30pm
Friday, December 15 at 8:00pm
Saturday, December 16 at 2:00pm (Relaxed Performance) & 8:00pm
Sunday, December 17 at 2:00pm

Ticket Prices
General Admission - $30
Groups of 10+ - $20 per ticket
Artist/Student Rush - $15
Tickets available online, over the phone, and at the box office!

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