'The Wizard of Oz' and yule plays are standing in wings

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Nov 21, 2004 by Ivan M. Lincoln Deseret Morning News

An off-Broadway national touring company comes to town, and several Christmas shows are opening this week.

-- "THE WIZARD OF OZ," directed and choreographed by Victoria Mallory, is being staged Friday through Dec. 31 by the Egyptian Theatre Company, 328 Main St., Park City.

The cast includes Ali Bennett as Dorothy Gale, Rock White as the Cowardly Lion, Schuler Scott Mastain as the Scarecrow, Richard Lopez as the Tin Man and Enid Atkinson as the Wicked Witch.

Following the opening performance (8 p.m. Friday), curtain is 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and the remainder of the run (Dec. 2-4, 8-11, 12, 15- 18, 19-23 and 26-31), with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. on Dec. 4, 11 and 18. Tickets are $17-$27 for adults, $12-$18 for students and $10- $16 for children, with discounts for senior citizens. "Holiday pricing" goes into effect on Dec. 19 (435-649-9371 or 888-243-5779).

-- TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS of Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol" are opening holiday runs in theaters in Centerville and Ogden.

-- Rodgers Memorial Theatre, 292 E. Pages Lane, Centerville, has once again acquired the rights to Madison Square Garden's acclaimed musical version of "A Christmas Carol" (this newest edition is now owned by Radio City Entertainment).

Running Friday through Dec. 23, it's directed and choreographed by Jim Christian, with musical direction by Mauri Tarbox. The double- cast ensemble includes Scott Morgan and Dave Hill alternating as Scrooge, Lee Wright and Jerry Allman as Bob Cratchit, and Robert Gilmore and Cory Wayman as Tiny Tim.

This adaptation, produced from 1994 to 2002 in New York City -- with everyone from Tony Randall to Tim Curry starring as Scrooge, features songs composed by Alan Menken (Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Shop of Horrors") and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens ("Ragtime" and "Seussical the Musical").

Performances are Mondays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with two Saturday matinees at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 and 18. Tickets are $12-$14 for adults, $11-$12 for students and senior citizens and $9 for children (298-1302).

-- Terrace Plaza Playhouse, 99 E. 4700 South, Ogden, is continuing its tradition of staging "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol."

Directed by Jacci Florence (who performs the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past), the cast includes her husband, Kim, in the title role, with Donald L. Wilhelm as Christmas Present and Blaine Smith as Christmas Future. Andrew Oliverson and Jonathan LaFontaine alternate as Bob Cratchit, with Matthew Richards and Timothy Holt sharing the role of Tiny Tim.

Performances are Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., from Friday through Dec. 18, then nightly Dec. 20-23. Tickets are $9-$11 for adults and $6-$8 for children, with a $1 discount for students and senior citizens (393-0700).

-- "FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD," from the creators of the long-running off-Broadway revue "Forbidden Broadway," will have performances on Friday and Saturday at the Eccles Center in Park City.

This younger sibling of the 20-year-old "Broadway" spoof tackles tunes and ideas from the silver screen, lampooning everything from "Mary Poppins" to "Titanic." One bit has Elizabeth Taylor, Macaulay Culkin and Michael Jackson singing "Consider Yourself Washed Up" (a somewhat twisted version of one of the tunes from "Oliver!").

Other segments include Forrest Gump ("Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates"), Marlene Dietrich ("Falling Apart Again"), Audrey Hepburn ("Dub Me") and Ann-Margret ("Bye Bye Thirty").

Creator-writer Gerard Alessandri turns "Singin' in the Rain" into Gene Kelly crooning "My Singin' Is a Pain," and "Hooray for Hollywood" will have Bette Midler belting out "Who's Gay in Hollywood."

Dorothy and Toto find themselves "Somewhere Under the Rainbow," and one segment is called "Darling Doris Day" (to the tune of "Que Sera, Sera").

Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City. Tickets range from $15 to $50 or half price for children 12 and under (435-655-3114).

-- "THE XMAS MEN," the Off Broadway Theatre's spoof that combines a batch of superhero misfits in a Christmas battle of good vs. evil, opens Friday and continues through Jan. 1.

The cast includes Eric Jensen as "Elfis" and the Ice Guard, Mike Brown as Old Man Winter, Jon Baty as Jack Frost, Dave Hunsaker as Lion Wing, Brent Peterson as Loco, Michelle Hall as Jel-O, Jen Peterson as Weather Rolo, Logan Rogan as Kirby and Clint Clotrin as Father X-Mas.

Performances are Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., at the theater, 272 S. Main, with some added Thursday shows and one matinee. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens and $5 for children, 12 and under. All tickets are $5 on Monday nights (355-4628).

-- "THE MERRY NUTCRACKER," author Marilyn Brown's newly revised stage adaptation of the classic ballet, will play Friday through Dec. 22 at the Little Brown Theatre, 239 S. Main, Springville.

Directed by Bill Brown, the cast includes Cameron Sevy as the Doctor, Paisley Standifird as Clara and Jonathan Boone and Mindy Sumsion as her parents.