HO HO HO! to Open 11/29 at Columbia Children's Theatrre

Father Christmas is just not feeling it this year. Can Mrs. Claus, the Elves and the audience help Santa get his groove back? Find out as Columbia Children's Theatre (CCT), the Midlands only professional theatre for families and young audiences presents the uproarious holiday comedy, Ho Ho Ho! November 29 - December 8. Show times are Fridays at 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. The Saturday, December 9th 10:30 a.m. show will also feature Breakfast with Santa in partnership with the Richland County Department of Parks and Recreation.

All shows are held at Columbia Children's Theatre on the 2nd level of Richland Mall, 3400 Forest Drive. Tickets are $12.00 for children three years of age through adult. The 7:00 p.m. performances on Saturday evenings will have a special price of $6.00 for everyone. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.columbiachildrenstheatre.com. For more information, call 803-691-4548. CCT's 2013-2014 Season is sponsored by Midlands Kids' Directory, Little Gym of Columbia and Lexington, and South Carolina Blue.

About the showWhat does one do when the most important person on the most important night just can't get it together? When the elves are no help and the new pants just run away, Santa and Mrs. Claus go back and try to remember how it all began, hoping to recapture some of the magic of the first Christmas. Through slide-splitting mayhem, music, and lots of audience participation, the characters and audience work together to bring back the holiday spirit back to Father Christmas.

Originally produced in England by the Blah Blah Blah Theatre company, this American adaptation keeps much of the British "panto" feel while remaining accessible to young American audiences. "British pantomime," explains CCT Artistic Director Jerry Stevenson, "has nothing to do with mimes, silent clowns, or Marcel Marceau. Panto is probably the noisiest, rowdiest sort of theatre you can attend (with the whole family!)" A form of winter holiday entertainment in the UK, pantomime takes familiar fairy tales and children's stories - and injects music hall (British Vaudeville) sensibility, contemporary references and audience participation to create a raucous, silly entertainment that's fun for everyone in the family.

Directed by popular local director Frank Thompson (South Pacific, 9 to 5 at Town Theatre and Chicago, A Christmas Story at Camden Community Theatre) the cast features veteran performers Lee Smith, Christy Shealy Mills, Bill DeWitt, Will Moreau, Elizabeth Stepp and Andy Nyland.

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. More information is available at ww.columbiachildrenstheatre.com.

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