‘Twas the Night (Noon) of Imagination and Inspiration at Kelsey Theater
by April Johnson
‘Twas the hour after noon of Sunday, Dec 8th and all through Kelsey Theater….okay, I’m sorry, I can’t find anything to rhyme with this but we all find ourselves repeating the beloved starting line from the holiday classic by Clement Moore. Book and lyrics by Bruce Craig Miller,” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” is based on Moore’s life events and his notorious poem formally known as “A Visit From St. Nicholas.”
As we walked in the vestibule of the theater, we were greeted among the hustle and bustle of vendors, and stacks of toys and games in which the proceeds go to Toys for Tots. Preshow music infused the auditorium’s atmosphere with soulful holiday tunes followed by carolers engaging the audience to sing along with classic carols such as “Here We Come A-Caroling”, “Silent Night”, “Joy to the World”, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”, and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The traditional celebratory show of Kelsey Theater’s season opened with a jubilant troupe of dancing elves, a few known (or possibly unknown) facts about St. Nicholas, along with a few interactive instructions for audience participation.
The year was 1822. Greenwich Village. The town was all a happy clatter preparing for the holiday season. Children playing in the snow, vendors selling goods, and families greeting each other with smiles and laughter. In the midst of the crowd was the popular Moore household-- Clement; the aspiring author in need of true motivation to pen a poem revealed each year on Christmas Eve to the community; Eliza, Clement’s supportive wife; and daughters, Margaret, the eldest and cynical teen who had a love for the holidays yet disgusted by a certain traditional ornament; and Charity, the optimistic and loving youngster who expresses her hopes and desires to St. Nicholas in a letter that may have been consumed in the fire. Clement finds himself having writer's block and is looking for inspiration in all avenues. He even attempted to highlight his wife’s embarrassing trait which he eventually scratching out. It is said that this may be the inspiration as to why Santa Claus comes down the fireplace. Moore finds himself discovering elements in his home and everything around him for poetic motivation. A phantastic visitation from Diana Mouse and The Dancing Sugarplums piqued Moore’s pen and began to write what we know as magic. Yet, Clement still found himself at an impasse and decided to take a walk to clear his conscience. During this walk, he was surrounded by the clamor of the community. A conversation with Mr. Kringle, a beloved townsman, further drove Moore to reach into his mental caverns. Meanwhile, Charity was searching for comfort joy and peace not only for her family but for her community as well. She continued to hope for a response from St. Nicholas, but Margaret advised that she should accept the fact that he may never come. As Christmas Eve approached, Clement read his poem to his family for support. During the presentation, a special visitor or (visitors) arrived via the Moore’s fireplace, confirmed Charity’s wishes, and contributed to the completion of his now famed piece. The principal message to take home: Imagination is what’s inside of you; inspiration is what’s all around you.
Christopher Guear was amusingly entertaining as Clement Moore. Chandler Alexis Miller showed her knack for variable choices as Eliza Moore and Diana Mouse. I wonder if that was intentional being that Eliza and Diana served as the initial inspiration and sounding board for CC Moore’s poem. The audacious Margaret Moore was wonderfully portrayed by Abby Dalal. Zendaya Holliman was a darling delight as Charity Moore. Leonard Calabrese III attentively approached the role of Mr. Kringle with humor and kindness. Santa came to town and displayed his jolly countenance of love and hope for all. Rounding out the cast was the ensemble: Nadia D’Agostino, Ariel Defreitas, Jani Skye Hamilton, Ashley Kerr, Frankie Pendleton, Jennifer Wahlberg, and Paul Zych as the Bentley Family; Leanna Collins, Jared Drigant, Robert Drigant, Grace Ghaffoor, Hope Ghaffoor, Barbara Grayson, Jenna Lamont, and Emma Sansotta as the Marshall Family; Kori Bethea, Sakiyyah Burwell-Darden, Zuraiya Holliman-York, Cameron Miller, Nee’Jon Pack, Brielle Rowell, A’maziin Williams as the McGuilicutty Family; and Aniya Darden, Zayla Gordon, Brooklyn McKinney, Aaron Mason, Hailee Poli, and Jacob Vega as the Whittleby Family. Diane Dash-Thompson and Laura Ghaffoor gave special appearances. Everyone in this cast had their individual opportunity to performatively shine.
Director Danielle Miller-Winrow gave us a sensation of variability to relate to each demographic of the audience; transporting us all to the memories of hopes we had as children, and remembering where we may have lost the excitement, the love and the innocence when it comes to the holiday season. Musical Direction was by Pat Masterson, who added to the sentiment of comfort and joy. The festive Light Design was by M. Kitty Getlik and Sound by Jackson Seigel. The set gave us a small town feeling with nostalgic appeal of lamp posts as a proscenium, snowy weather, and functionality of a movable set unveiling of the inner dwelling of the Moore family. The home was cozy with a fireplace laced with stockings, a writing desk, sitting chairs, and holiday decorations thanks to John M. Maurer and Amy Bessellieu. Choreographer Laura Ghaffoor presented festively fun and unforgettable dance routines, remarkably with the elves, sugar plums and reindeer. Louisa Murey and Sheron Williams costumed the cast with mindfulness and precision.
This hour-long production was a piece to remember. I, as an audience member, was greatly entertained by this diverse group of performers. I appreciated the little-known facts about St. Nicholas, the interaction with the audience, and it was evident that the performers enjoyed their time on stage. As a performer, I was so elated to see the diversity and inclusion on and off stage. I encourage Kelsey Theater to remain in their stance of commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, anti-racism. Dedicated to the love and memory of Ms. Sarah Dash, I am certain that she would beam with pride and joy.
‘Twas the Night before Christmas was presented the sole weekend of Dec 6-9, 2024. For upcoming events, visit https://kelsey.mccc.edu.
