Friday, November 24, through Tuesday, December 26
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
Following the success of its 2015 family comedy Fancy Nancy: The Musical, Circa '21 presents another stage adventure with author Jane O'Connor's famed children's-book character in Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, a holiday-themed musical that inspired praise from the New York Times: “What makes Splendiferous Christmas winning is that it dares to be a little naughty as well as nice.”
Circa '21's latest family musical finds its grade-school heroine desperate to buy a fancy ornament for the top of her family’s Christmas tree, and deciding to raise the money by selling her old dresses and trinkets. Her little sister JoJo, meanwhile, falls in love with a rhinestone necklace at the sale and becomes convinced that Nancy will give it to her for Christmas – not realizing that her sister has already sold it to purchase the ornament. Nancy consequently attempts to retrieve the necklace, make the money, and ensure a merry Christmas for all in a production that led Stage Buddy to rave, “With a positive message and plenty of heart, this show is a splendiferous choice for any family wanting to learn the true meaning of Christmas.”
Andrea Moore, who directed 2015's Fancy Nancy as well as with recent Circa '21 productions of Jingle Arrgh the Way and Lyle the Crocodile, returns to the director's chair for this new holiday musical, with venue veteran Travis Smith serving as music director, as he was for the theatre's currently production of Elf: The Musical. Nancy herself is played by Elf performer Miranda Sloan, and shell be joined on-stage by a pair of Elf castmates (TJ Besler and Catie Moss) and three members of the theatre's performing wait staff of Bootleggers (Brad Hauskins, Sarah Hayes, and Antoinette Holman).
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas will be presented at scheduled 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. show-only performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays, and at noon Sunday-brunch performances, from November 24 through December 26. Tickets are $9.50-10.50 for the show-only productions and $15-20 for the brunches, and more information and reservations are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visiting Circa21.com.
