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Totem Pole Playhouse and Gettysburg's Majestic Theater make 'Christmas Carol' agreement


FAYETTEVILLE >> Is September too early to start planning for Christmas?

Not when the planning is for a popular show that just recently took on new life after a several-year hiatus.

Totem Pole Playhouse has announced that it has signed a long-term agreement with Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater to present, beginning this year, an all-new version of the playhouse's adaptation of Charles Dickens' holiday classic, "A Christmas Carol."

The show will be presented each December at the Majestic Theater through 2019 as the centerpiece of Destination Gettysburg's marketing campaign "Holidays in Gettysburg" featuring theater, dining, and shopping.

A Christmas Carol will take the stage this Dec. 9-20 with both matinee and evening performances scheduled. Special student matinees will be offered as well.

"We are thrilled to bring this beloved holiday family-friendly production to Gettysburg," said Rowan Joseph, producing artistic director for Totem Pole Playhouse.

"The Majestic Theater, as well as the entire town of Gettysburg is a perfect backdrop for this classic story of the Christmas spirit. We look forward to entertaining area residents, as well as the thousands of holiday visitors to the show this year and for many years to come."

A Christmas Carol will be part of a larger "Holidays in Gettysburg" season throughout the community with events planned from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.

The Totem Pole, Majestic Theater and other community partners are working closely with Destination Gettysburg to promote not only the performances, but a holiday season featuring events, activities and packages for both visitors and local residents.

"The holidays provide Adams County with a great potential to grow tourism during the month of December," said Norris Flowers, president of Destination Gettysburg. "'A Christmas Carol," we believe, could be attractive to not only leisure travelers, but travel groups who often visit other destinations during the holiday season."

Joseph said the idea originated with a conversation he had with Majestic Theater Founding Executive Director Jeffrey Gabel about developing a production the two theaters could work on together.

The project also includes community partners such as Gettysburg Group Reservations, which will be selling the performance to travel groups; the Adams County Arts Council, which will be working with local school districts; and Gettysburg Community Theatre, whose executive Director, Chad Alan-Carr, will be the production's choreographer; and the Gettysburg Adams Chamber of Commerce.

"I really enjoyed working with Rowan as the choreographer on the show last year in Chambersburg and so I jumped at the offer for Gettysburg Community Theatre to serve as associate producer when he made it, said Carr. "I am thrilled at the opportunity it offers our membership, especially the children, to be able to work with professional actors and designers on such a high-quality production."

The performance will be held evenings on Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 8 p.m.; with matinee performances scheduled for Dec. 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 19 at 2 p.m. Student performances costing $6 per local student, courtesy of a grant from the Adams County Community Foundation, will be held at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10, 11, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

Admission for the show will range from $36 to $30 for adults and $20 for students.

Tickets are on sale now online at www.gettysburgmajestic.org, through the Majestic Theater box office by calling (717) 337-8200 or in person at 25 Carlisle St. in Gettysburg.