Shrek The Musical
Bedford Acting Group
December 6 at 7 p.m., December 7 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and December 8 at 3 p.m.; at Bedford Middle School
Tickets: bedfordactinggroup.com
Director Ryan Smith, a Westport native, has been involved in Bedford Middle School’s theater company, the Bedford Acting Group, in various capacities since 2001. He became the director four years ago, and for this year’s musical, Ryan chose Shrek, a show close to his heart (he played Shrek in a local production!). “The music is just phenomenal, there’s a lot of characters—at Bedford, we take pride in providing as much opportunity for as many kids as possible—and the characters are really fun,” Ryan says. “We work together with the directors at Coleytown and Staples to communicate what shows we’re thinking about, too.”
While Shrek might not be a traditional “holiday” character, the show still embodies the spirit of the season. “It’s a family-friendly show, first and foremost,” says Ryan. “All the characters are fairy tale creatures with spins on them.” And though in any other town, seeing a student production if you don’t have a child at the school might be a stretch, with the caliber of a Westport school production— from the professionally-built sets to the expertly tailored costumes (done by Ryan’s wife!) to the talented kids themselves, “you’re not gonna get a standard middle school show,” says Ryan. “You’ll be like wow, is this professional?”
The Nutcracker
Westport’s Academy of Dance
December 21 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and December 22 at 2 p.m.; at Staples High School
Tickets: westportdance.com
Westport’s Academy of Dance’s production of The Nutcracker has become a holiday institution.“This is going to be our 43rd annual production,” says Nancy Hyland-Zindell, the director of Westport’s Academy of Dance who grew up taking classes at the studio herself. With more than 180 local dancers, “it’s this magical, amazing thing, and a chance to have dreams realized,” says Nancy, who adds that as soon as back-to-school season hits there’s “Nutcracker fever” in the studio. “It’s a show they’re proud to bring friends and family to,” says Nancy, noting that the classic tale is light and fun for audience members of all ages, who love hearing the memorable music and seeing the iconic scenes. “Everybody’s looking to get embraced by the holiday spirit,” she says. “There’s an energy with the kids on stage. They’re all so excited to be there. There’s just something about The Nutcracker.”
A Sherlock Carol
Westport Country Playhouse
December 17-19 at 7 p.m., December 20 and 21 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and December 22 at 2 p.m.; at Westport Country Playhouse
Tickets: westportplayhouse.org
A Sherlock Carol is a delightful mashup of the characters made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. It was written by Mark Shanahan, the new artistic director at the Westport Country Playhouse, who chose it as part of his first fully produced season of plays focused on comedies, returning from last year. “We’re in a particularly challenging moment right now, where culturally things are so divisive,” says Mark. “The Playhouse is a place that brings people together. So I thought perhaps the best thing we could do was offer something called the Season of Laughter, where we offered a slate of comedies for the year— so you know the Playhouse is somewhere filled with joy.”
A Sherlock Carol is a murder mystery twist on the classic story from A Christmas Carol, but it’s still fun and funny. “It’s sort of a sequel to A Christmas Carol— at the end of that story we’re told Scrooge has changed, but we only fleetingly get to see that,” says Mark, who is also the director. “It’s fun to pick up the story years later.” Mark’s tale became a hit off-Broadway, and there will be 25 productions of it this holiday season, “but the Westport production is our flagship,” he explains. Not only is the original writer/director here, but we also have the most of the original cast and design team. “I can’t imagine having Christmas and not doing this show together,” says Mark. It's a heartwarming holiday tale not to be missed. “At its heart, it shares Dickens’ passion for telling stories about redemption and the notion that it’s never too late to become your best self.”