‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS COMES TO CUMBERLAND THEATRE

A holiday story for children and the young at heart will play for three performances

The Cumberland Theatre will be presenting Ken Ludwig’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas this weekend for a limited run of three performances. The show is part of the CT’s Theatre for Young Audiences initiative and is under an hour in length making it ideal for families with young children.

As the familiar story goes, “‘twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” But wait! A mouse is stirring - because Santa missed his house last year. Before you can say “Merry Christmas!”, everyone is off on a wild adventure with a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won't take no for an answer.

The show features the talents of Sean Besecker, Bill Dennison, Kiersten Gasemy, Connor McCabe and Lexus Middleton. The creative team consists of Shane Lynn (Director), Wendy Snow (costume design) and Rhett Wolford (set design). Kyle Wolford is the production stage manager with assistance from Rowan Dickson.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas will run November 25th at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm and November 26th at 2:00 pm. Refreshments will be available in the lobby before and after the performances.

For tickets and more information, please visit cumberlandtheatre.com or call 301.759.4990.

DAUGHTER OF HOLLYWOOD LEGEND COMES TO CUMBERLAND THEATRE

Karen Knotts tells stories about her famous Dad and growing up in Tinseltown

The Cumberland Theatre will host the one-woman show TIED UP IN KNOTTS! for one night only this Thursday, November 2nd at 8:00 pm.

The show stars Karen Knotts, daughter of acclaimed actor Don Knotts. Filled with stories of her legendary father, the show is considered a must-see for kids of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s who grew up laughing at Don Knotts as Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith show! It’s a father-daughter story about growing up in a celebrity ‘Diva’ world with the love of Mayberry.

“When my father, Don Knotts, passed away in February 2006, I wanted to pay tribute to him in the way I knew him best: as an amazing, loving dad,” says Karen. “It’s true that Don Knotts was one of the greatest and most beloved comedic actors of his generation, with many awards to his credit! However, in my one-woman show TIED UP IN KNOTTS!, I try to capture the essence of Don, the man, because I always thought he was the funniest when he was just being himself.”

Knotts also penned a book with the same title which was published in 2021.

Tickets are available at cumberlandtheatre.com. A small number of VIP tickets, which include a meet and greet with Ms. Knotts, are also available. For questions and more information, email info@cumberlandtheatre.com or call 301.759.4990.

CT Stars of Tomorrow presents Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Popular show based on Christmas classic features youth actors

The Cumberland Theatre Stars of Tomorrow will present the holiday musical Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at the theatre November 16th – 19th. The show will play for five performances. The musical is based on the Rankin Bass animated holiday television special of the same name and brings all the beloved characters to life on stage including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph.

Because of his shiny nose, Rudolph doesn't feel like he belongs in Christmastown and sets off to find a place that accepts him. Along his journey, he encounters fellow misfits, only to realize that home is where he has belonged the whole time. When a storm threatens to keep Santa's sleigh from taking flight, what makes Rudolph different turns out to be what helps him save Christmas! It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special.

The show features Lily Jackson as Rudolph, Lincoln VanMeter as Hermey the Elf, Bella McConnell as Yukon Cornelius and Kyle Wolford as Sam the Snowman. Also appearing in supporting roles will be Alice Wecker as the Clarice, Max Linn as Santa, and Mackenzie Dunaway as Mrs. Claus.

The large ensemble cast includes Emmet Berhow, Margaret Prestianni, Olive Leonard, Monroe Campbell, Madelyn Hook, Olive Wolford, Layla Carey, Loralei Weisenmiller, Zander Knotts, and Cooper Tanner portraying a variety of featured characters, elves, reindeer and misfit toys.

The CT Stars of Tomorrow was started in 2019 with a generous grant from the Halmos Foundation of the Community Trust Fund. The program offers young actors 5 – 20 years old the opportunity to produce a full-length Broadway-style musical in a professional setting lead by a professional production staff. It is intended to give them a full picture of working on a main stage show in a regional theatre both on stage and behind the scenes.

Sponsors for this year’s show include Dawn’s Family Practice and Leslie Taylor-Neumann.

This year’s creative team includes Marty Jellison (director), Mikayla Dodge (music director), Kimberli Rowley (choreographer), Rhett Wolford (scenic and lighting designer), Wendy Walker (costume designer), and Morganne Chu (costume designer).

Tickets are available online at cumberlandtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.