WA S H I N G T O N B E A C O N — D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3
Say you saw it in the Beacon
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© AMY BOYLE PHOTOGRAPHY 2013
Style Arts &
The national touring company of the Broadway show Elf the Musical is now appearing at the Kennedy Center.
Highlights of festive holiday productions his identity and bring the Christmas message to New Yorkers. Elf will be performed in the Kennedy Center Opera House Dec. 17 to Jan. 5. Performances: Tuesday through Sunday evenings in the Opera House at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m. There is no evening performance on Dec. 24. There is an additional matinee performance on Dec. 26. The evening performance on Dec. 31 begins at 8 p.m. and includes admission into the Kennedy Center’s New Year’s Eve party in the Grand Foyer. Reserved tickets range in price from $49 to $130 and can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office, at www.kennedycenter.org, or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600. Now to the Christmas chestnuts. The theme, as always, is tradition, with variations on the work of Charles Dickens coming back year after year on a number of stages. The grand-daddy of them all is always Ford’s Theatre’s A Christmas Carol (now through Jan. 1). Local stage favorite Edward Gero is back as miserly Scrooge in this “music infused” take on the Dickens classic story of a man finding redemption
with the help of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Ford’s recommends the show for ages five and up. A Christmas Carol will be performed at Ford’s Theatre through Jan. 1, at 511 10th St. NW. Performances: Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m. (except Dec. 24 and 25); Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. (except Dec. 7). Mondays Dec. 23 and 30 at 7:30 p.m. Weekday noon matinees are Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12. Weekday matinees at 2 p.m. are Dec. 18, 19, 23, 26, 31 and Jan. 1. There will be audio-described
PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN
By Michael Toscano December is traditionally the familyfriendliest month on D.C.-area stages, with a mix of holiday-themed perennials and time-honored favorites. A listing of some of this year’s top attractions follows. Before we get to the more traditional offerings, there’s something a bit different at the Kennedy Center: Elf The Musical (Dec. 17 to Jan. 5). The Opera House will vibrate with the national touring company of the show, which is based on the 2003 comedy film starring Will Ferrell. The Kennedy Center bills this as a “modern day Christmas classic.” While we’re not sure it has achieved that status yet, the musical does boast good theatrical genes. The music and book come from a group of Tony Award winners, and the story is both funny and heart-warming. Naturally, it focuses on discovering the “true meaning of Christmas” as Buddy, a young orphan child, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag and soon finds himself at the North Pole. He grows up thinking he’s an elf, but Santa helps him find the truth by letting him go to New York to discover
See ROUND UP, page 56 Ford’s Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol runs through January 1, featuring Tre Jones as Tiny Tim and Bobby Smith as Bob Cratchit. Other versions of the popular Dickens story are on stage at the Olney Theatre and MetroStage.
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