THE DOLLMAKER World Premiere Will Bring Christmas Cheer To Vista's Broadway Theater

Are you ready to revamp your holiday traditions? This season North County residents have the opportunity to enjoy a brand new, family-friendly musical while still reveling in the crackling-fire, homey-goodness of a Charles Dickens favorite. Written and composed by Heather Megill, The Dollmaker retells a lesser-known Dickens short story, "The Cricket on the Hearth", which follows the tale of Bertha Plummer and her aging father Caleb, toymakers in Portsmouth England in the 1860s. A story of love and family, The Dollmaker has all the charm of Victorian England, wrapped up in classic Christmas carols and many new songs that will melt your heart and soothe your soul.

LA Times "Critic's Pick" director Roger Castellano guides the cast of brilliant performers that features Greg Nichols, a familiar face with Moonlight Stage Productions, who leads the cast as Caleb Plummer, the humble, doting father whose coming of age daughter is ready to venture into a new life of her own. Elizabeth Campbell and Matthew Malecki play the lovers whose duets feature their vocal skill and expressive sensitivity in the songs "Happy Futures" and "How Can I Say Goodbye?" Caroline Nelms, Shayne Mims, Renetta Lloyd, and Christopher Doshier take on supporting roles that are humorous and heartwarming. Playful meets poignant in the song "Letting Go" and "Christmas Time," which remind us to savor our time together.

Megill's fifth original musical to be produced and performed, The Dollmaker once again highlights Megill's incredible talent to challenge and feature vocalists with lyric melodies that continually attract elite performers to her work. Megill states about the work, "The Dollmaker is a nod to the familiar. Its nostalgia is inherent in the traditional musical style and the familiar Dickens Christmas setting. It feels like a story we've heard before although these are brand new characters with new troubles and triumphs. It's comforting, nourishing, and feels like home." A North County native, growing up in the Oceanside/Vista area, Megill is a gem of the region, having spent time on the East Coast teaching and raising her children before returning to California. Her passion has always been storytelling through music and prose, whether it be directing, performing, or creating. Her unparalleled skill as a vocal performer and teacher, having received her Masters in Vocal Performance from SUNY Buffalo, sets her compositions apart from others and makes her work classically flavored while still being hummable tunes that everyone can enjoy. This family-friendly show is an opportunity to bring people together to celebrate the holiday spirit through new and classic holiday melodies.

To catch sneak peeks of the show in progress and for exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, please visit The Dollmaker Musical on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

December 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 2021
The Broadway Theater, 340 E Broadway, Vista, CA 92084
Tickets and other information available at broadwayvista.biz

COVID Precautions: Please note strict health and wellness precautions are being made for the performers and the audience to enjoy the show while staying healthy and well this holiday season. See the Broadway Theater website for additional protocols to help keep everyone involved healthy and safe.

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