NDNU Theatre to Present the 24th Annual 'Gift -A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL' 12/4 - 12/13

NDNU Theatre will present the 24th annual production of The Gift: A Christmas Carol the Musical, based on the story by Charles Dickens and featuring an exciting musical score written by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. The latest installment of this community gem will once again be directed by Michael B Elkins, NDNU'S Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance. The Gift: A Christmas Carol the Musical will play a special limited engagement from December 4 - 13 with an official opening night of December 4 @ 7:00 PM.

In The Gift: A Christmas Carol the Musical, Charles Dickens' classic gets the full Broadway treatment with Alan Menken, Lynn Ahrens, and Mike Okrent's adaptation. This is the version that leaves New Yorkers and tourists alike gasping in wonder and merriment every year as the
story unfolds on the stage at Madison Square Garden. In 2004, this version became the basis of a NBC television spectacular featuring Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge, surrounded by an array of stars including Jason Alexander, Jesse L. Martin, Jane Krakowski, Geraldine Chaplin, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ruthie Henshall. Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors) and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime The Musical, Once On This Island) have collaborated on a score that is filled with beautiful melodies and emotional lyrics. Their song "A Place Called Home" has become a holiday standard.

Michael Elkins, Co-Founder and Producer of the annual The Gift: A Christmas Carol the Musical, realizes how important the production will be to thousands of local residents this holiday season. "The economy has made life hard for millions of people already this year" said Elkins, "and many will struggle to find hope and happiness over the coming holiday season, The Gift will help to make season shine for as it has for over twenty two years." Elkins adds that "Over the past twenty-three years, audience members have expressed their thanks for The Gift and its reminder of the beauty of Christmas and the power achieved by the simplest gesture of kindness and generosity.
Throughout the years we have received thousands of cards and letters thanking the organizers, the university and the volunteers for providing this extraordinary production."

NDNU has offered The Gift: A Christmas Carol the Musical to the community free of charge for the past 23 years. As the longest running musical version of A Christmas Carol in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is estimated that more than 100,000 people have attended these performances. The production has received local, state and national commendations over the years and the NDNU Theatre Department was awarded the Peninsula Arts Council's Diamond Award for 2007 as
Outstanding Arts Organization for its contributions to the arts in San Mateo County.

The cast of more than 80 performers is composed mostly of actors, singers, and dancers who have appeared in past productions at NDNU including Christmas Carol veterans Jeff Young, Mary Hill, Laura Hill, George Metropolus, Elana Ron, Scott Fish, Angela Harrington, and Larry Rice. The production also features Virginia Musante and Anne Lawler as associate directors, choreography by Coleen Lorenz, Director of the NDNU Dance Program, stage management by Rebecca Waldo, and Music Supervision and Direction by Matthew Mattei. Professor Michael B. Elkins (Director), M.F.A., is the Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance as well as the Artistic Director and has been a part of NDNU since 1978. Elkins will once again assume the role of Scrooge as he has done for all of the performances throughout the last twenty four years of performances.

The production also features scenic design by R. Dutch Fritz, NDNU Professor of Theatre, costumes by Mary Hill, lighting design by Will Springhorn, sound design by Judson Altoff, and technical direction by Brian Hill.

Notre Dame de Namur University is an independent Catholic, coeducational institution serving nearly 1600 students. It is the fifth oldest institution of higher education in California and was the first college for women authorized to offer baccalaureate degrees. Founded by the sisters of Notre Dame of Namur, Belgium in 1851 and chartered by the state in 1868, NDNU maintains a strong commitment to educational access as well as inclusiveness and diversity. The University is fully accredited and offers 26 liberal arts undergraduate programs, and graduate degrees in 17 areas of study. The 50-acre campus is located in Belmont, just south of San Francisco.

The Gift: A Christmas Carol the Musical will play a special limited engagement from December 4 - 13. The production will play December 4 @ 7:00 PM, December 5 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM, December 6 @ 2:00 PM, December 10 @ 7:30 PM, December 11 @ 7:30 PM, December 12 @ 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM, and December 13 @ 2:00 PM at the Notre Dame de Namur Department of Theater and Dance (1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont). The ticket order forms and information can be found at www.christmascarolthegift.org. Tickets are free of cost, but audience members are encouraged to bring new toys and non-perishable food items to donate at the theatre. The tons of food and over 1,500 toys collected each year are distributed to families in need by a dozen human service agencies.

Tickets for the opening night gala reception at the Ralston Hall Mansion are $40 for adults and $20 for children. Tickets can be purchased www.christmascarolthegift.org. Proceeds from opening gala
help fund the entire show.