Milford-based theater company Pantochino Productions has debuted its new family-friendly holiday musical “Welcome to Santa Claus” at the Milford Arts Council in downtown Milford with shows through December 21.
“Welcome to Santa Claus,” featuring book and lyrics by Bert Bernardi and music by Justin Rugg, is about a small town in Ohio with a holiday namesake where every shop, every restaurant, every day is all about Christmas. But when a hot shot lawyer threatens to “cease and desist,” it takes the jolly old elf himself to come to the rescue and save the town.
“It’s like a ‘greeting card channel’ movie live on stage” says Bernardi. “It captures that small town charm and a colorful array of characters of all ages who live in Santa Claus. It’s always fun to create a brand new holiday story for our audiences and this one just might be the merriest of them all.”
The cast includes Pantochino company members Shelley Marsh Poggio, Jimmy Johansmeyer, Valerie Loomis, Katie Durham, Tracey Marble, Rachelle Ianniello, Killian Meehan and composer Rugg. They are joined by Lia Jade, Marlena Ascher, Brenna Murphy and Quinn Fitzgerald. Also in the cast are two young actors, Davis Burke of Trumbull and Aurora Hinden of Milford. “Welcome to Santa Claus” features setting by Von Del Mar, costumes by Johansmeyer, lighting by Jakob Kelsey, sound by Tyler Kittleman, musical direction by Rugg and stage management by Christina Ronquillo.
Performances are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Seating is cabaret-style and audiences are invited to bring their own food and drink. The Milford Arts Council is located at 40 Railroad Ave. Parking is free at showtime in all train station lots. Tickets are available online at pantochino.com. Tickets are not available at the Milford Arts Council.