{"id":87631,"date":"2025-11-26T08:45:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T16:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=87631"},"modified":"2025-11-26T09:26:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T17:26:58","slug":"theater-news-3-long-beach-shows-tell-holiday-stories-in-new-ways-and-old","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/art\/theater-news-3-long-beach-shows-tell-holiday-stories-in-new-ways-and-old","title":{"rendered":"Theater News: 3 Long Beach shows tell holiday stories in new ways and old\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Theater News, a regular column by longtime reviewer Anita W. Harris. Look for it most Thursdays. Or <\/i>sign up<\/i><\/a> for our Eat See Do newsletter to get it in your inbox.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we round the corner from Thanksgiving into the holidays, three local shows offer a chance to get into the season in new and traditional ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two new shows focus on family complexities \u2014 Long Beach Shakespeare Company\u2019s family-friendly \u201cCinderella\u2019s Magical Christmas\u201d and the more adult-oriented \u201cMrs. Christmas\u201d at Aurora Theater \u2014 while Long Beach Playhouse\u2019s annual \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d brings Dickens\u2019 familiar ghost tale to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Cinderella\u2019s Magical Christmas’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Long Beach Shakespeare Company is currently staging a new musical written and directed by Terry Hill called \u201cCinderella\u2019s Magical Christmas\u201d \u2014 a mashup of two classic tales telling a story of families today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this production, with music by Irving Berlin, George & Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern, Cinderella\u2019s stepmother is not \u201cevil\u201d but instead a woman wrestling with misplaced anger. And her stepsisters are not mean but simply teenagers finding their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe production retains the magic of the pumpkin carriage, the stroke of midnight and the glass slipper \u2014 but also invites us to reconsider family dynamics, identity and forgiveness in a gently modern light,\u201d the theater says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer Holly Leveque says the show is appropriate for everyone, placing the families of Prince Charming and Ella front and center, with \u201choliday magic\u201d entering after the story\u2019s climax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour grandma, your wife, your sister, your uncle, your daughter or grandson can come and enjoy this show together,\u201d Leveque said, adding that the story resonates with \u201canyone seeking warmth, hope and a little theatrical sparkle this season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long Beach Shakespeare Company\u2019s \u201cCinderella\u2019s Magical Christmas\u201d continues through Dec. 7 at the Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-997-1494 or visit <\/i>LBShakespeare.org<\/i><\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Aurora Theater promo image for “Mrs. Christmas.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

‘Mrs. Christmas’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another world-premiere holiday musical is set to open next weekend at the Aurora Theater, but this one is for adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMrs. Christmas,\u201d written by award-winning playwright Tom Jacobson, is a musical that producer Signal Hill Sandbox, Inc. calls a \u201csavory entertainment for adults\u201d with a \u201cbrand-new take on holiday traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis heartwarmingly irreverent, laugh-out-loud musical offers a relatable holiday experience for adults seeking fresh, festive entertainment,\u201d the producer says. \u201cJust don\u2019t bring the whole family!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playwright Jacobson said \u201cMrs. Christmas\u201d is a tribute to two strong women in his life who have passed on \u2014 his high school choir teacher who recruited him to sing and his craft-loving Aunt Caryl \u2014 but also \u201call the mothers and daughters who struggle to love each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story tells of a woman who inherits holiday traditions from her recently deceased, estranged mother who was called Mrs. Christmas in their small town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer mother left behind a legacy of festive cheer and complex emotions for her daughter,\u201d the producer describes. \u201cThrough an evening of song and over-the-top stories, the daughter navigates the complexities of their relationship, delving into themes of tradition, loss, legacy and questioning how we begin to heal complicated relationships with our families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Award-winning director Karole Foreman said she\u2019s been wanting to collaborate with Jacobson for a long time, \u201ccaptivated by the scope of his imagination and the breadth of his intellect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2019Mrs. Christmas\u2019 is a wonderfully rich exploration of relationships between parents and children and the legacy of family holidays,\u201d Foreman said. \u201cI have to confess, I had become jaded about Christmas over the years. I think this play is a kind of redemption, and an opportunity to recapture some of the holiday spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMrs. Christmas\u201d runs Dec. 5 to 21 at the Aurora Theater, 4412 East Village Rd., with shows Mondays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit <\/i>AuroraTheater.com<\/i><\/a>. Free parking is available in a lot behind the theater. Run time is 90 minutes with no intermission.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Preview photo of “A Christmas Carol” at Long Beach Playhouse. From left: Dash Gomer (Tiny Tim) and Gregory Cohen (Ebenezer Scrooge). Photo courtesy of the theater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

‘A Christmas Carol’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And for a more traditional holiday story, the Long Beach Playhouse is staging its popular annual production of \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d beginning next weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on Charles Dickens\u2019 classic 1843 tale, \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d focuses on miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge and how he treats people during the holiday season, including his employee Bob Cratchit, father of the frail young Tiny Tim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future scare Scrooge into being more generous to overcome his own soul\u2019s impoverishment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Carole Louise Nicholson, the Playhouse calls the show \u201cquick-paced\u201d and \u201chighly theatrical\u201d \u2014 \u201cthe Christmas ghost story needed to set you and your loved ones on the path to holiday cheer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d runs Dec. 6 to 21 at the Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., with shows Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-494-1014 or visit <\/i>LBPlayhouse.org<\/i><\/a>. Free parking is available in a lot behind the theater.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two new shows, and the classic \u201cA Christmas Carol,” will get you in the Christmas mood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":87634,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[32310],"class_list":["post-87631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87631"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87638,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87631\/revisions\/87638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87631"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=87631"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=87631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}