Columbia Children's Theatre to Present A CHRISTMAS PIRATE MUSICAL, 12/4-13

They're back! Those uproarious, rambunctious, mischievous pirates from last season's How I Became a Pirate have sailed back into port in a hilarious new holiday musical. Columbia Children's Theatre (CCT), the Midlands' only professional theatre for families and young audiences, will present Jingle Aargh The Way, December 4 - 13. The production opens December 4th with a holiday red carpet event at 6:00 p.m., followed by the show at 7:00. Regular show times are Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. All performances are held at Columbia Children's Theatre on the 2nd level of Richland Mall, 3400 Forest Drive. Opening night tickets are $15.00 for children and $20 for adults. Tickets for the Saturday and Sunday performances are $10.00 for children three years of age through adult. The 7:00 p.m. performances on Saturday evenings will have a special ticket price of $5.00 for everyone. Advance tickets can be purchased securely online at columbiachildrenstheatre.com. For more information contact CCT at 803-691-4548. The production is sponsored by Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union.

Special Performances

On Friday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m., CCT is partnering with Columbia SC Moms Blog to host an Opening Night Family Holiday Event. Pre-show activities include a scavenger hunt, photo booth, pirate fishing hole, face painting, and a costume contest (wear your best pirate or North Pole fashions). Guests will nosh on goodies p by PDQ, Chick-fil-A at Saluda Pointe, special holiday PeppARRRmint smoothies from Coco Yoga, and cake pops from Nita Sweets. Door prizes are provided by Snip-Its, The Little Gym, Coco Yoga, Athena In-Home Tutoring, and more. At 7:00, attendees will be treated to opening night Jingle Aargh The Way, followed by a meet and greet with the cast. Tickets for the opening night performance and reception are $15 for children and $20 for adults and are available at columbiasc.citymomsblog.com.

Saturday, December 5 at 9:00 a.m. sees the return of the popular Breakfast with Santa, a partnership with the Richland County Recreation Commission. $12 admission includes breakfast, a visit and photo with Santa himself, face painting by Sarah Dippity, and other holiday activities and crafts, and admission to a performance of Jingle Arrgh the Way at 10:30 a.m. Advance tickets are required and are available at columbichildrenstheatre.com.

Friday, December 11 at 8:00 p.m. will see the return of CCT's underground, adults-only experience, Late Night Date Night. A unique concept for a children's theatre, this performance allows the cast to perform the script with strategic emphasis and innuendo that gives rise to unpredictable comedy best reserved for ages 16 and older. Admission to Late Night Date Night is by donation at the door, and patrons donating at least $10.00 will have the opportunity to send a word backstage that the cast must work into the show.

About the Production
Adapted from a follow-up story by SC's Melinda Long's blockbuster children's book How I Became A Pirate, this holiday musical finds Captain Braidbeard and his crew back at North Beach enlisting the help of their youngest recruit, Jeremy Jacob. Someone has left a cryptic message in the crow's nest of the ship and Jeremy must help them decode it. Before long he finds himself at the North Pole with Santa himself! When Santa teaches the rowdy pirates the true meaning of Christmas they all agree to return to North Beach to help Jeremy Jacob with his school Christmas musical.

"It's really the sweetest mixture of pirate shanty and Christmas music you could hope for," says CCT Artistic Director Jerry Stevenson. "The familiar holiday melodies mixed with jigs and rowing tunes make for the perfect new holiday musical."

Except for the addition of Charlie Krawczyk as Santa, the entire cast will reprise their roles from last season including: Lee O. Smith as Capt. Braidbeard, Brandi Smith as Maxine, Andy Nyland as Sharktooth, Julian Deleon as Pierre, Paul Lindley II as Swill, and Ashlyn Combs as Jeremy Jacob. Kaitlyn Fuller is also the swing for Swill.

Columbia Children's Theatre is a professional resident not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing quality live theatre experiences for families and young audiences, and is supported in part by the City of Forest Acres, The Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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