Review: Ken Ludwig’s “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” at Ziegfeld Theater
I love going to the theater; I love the stage and the seats and the whole live experience but as a parent I rarely get to go so you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that there was a theater production that the entire family was welcome to, baby included.
The productions started off with a sing-a-long of Rudolph the red-nose reindeer and Frosty the snowman and all the children ( and adults too!) joined in. The story is one we all know, “‘Twas the night before Christmas” is a classic we have all probably read growing up, only this version is a bit more exciting with adventure and snow and even some rapping.
The play begins with Uncle Brierly (Lloyd Parry) attempting to read the tradition version of ”‘Twas the night before Christmas” only to be interrupted by a mouse that was in fact stirring, cookie dough that is. But, the real fun begins when it is revealed that Santa left Emily (Liz Hernandez) and Amos Mouse (Allen McCracken) off both the ‘Naughty’ and ‘Nice’ lists and as a result skipped their house all together. It is then that an elf names Calliope (Alyn Bone) comes to investigate and whisks Emily and Amos Mouse, one of which is somewhat reluctant, off to the North Pole to save Christmas.
They adventure that follows is a hilarious and chaotic mix that includes rogue elves, a case of mistaken identity, a confused Santa, an elf cheer, sword fighting and the quest for Santa’s ‘naughty & nice’ lists. My daughters were laughing hysterically and cheering on Emily, Amos Mouse and Calliope on their quest to save Christmas. There is no shortage of excitement in this play from airplane rides to sword fights and even a bit of snow, this show does not disappoint and children of all ages ( yes, even adults too) will be laughing and singing along. My children were especially excited by the chase scene and the chaos had them on the edge of their seat, even the baby was staring at the stage with a huge grin on her face.
After the show the kids in the audience were invited on stage to get photos with Santa (Tim White) and give him their wish lists and then to the lobby for hot cocoa and cookies. It really was a wonderful night and a definite must see for all families. It is rare to find an event that the entire family can enjoy, especially with a baby, and “‘Twas the night before Christmas’ is one of those rarities.