Christmas City Follies Takes the Stage for Twelfth Season at Touchstone 12/1

A staple of the season and a favorite in the Christmas City for over a decade, Touchstone Theatre's beloved classic Christmas City Follies returns to the stage for its twelfth incarnation. The show runs December 1-18, 2011.

The seasonal variety show features live music, whimsical characters, seasonal sentiment, and laughs for the whole family. In addition to recurring favorite characters like the Old Guy, Little Red, the Pajama Sisters, and the ever-popular Shopping Cart Ballet, the cast offers a host of new acts, with influences ranging from Laurel and Hardy to Swan Lake, in locations from the North Pole to the heart of Bethlehem to halfway around the world in rural Kazakhstan.

Touchstone Artistic Director Jp Jordan, director of the show for his fourth year running, is proud to be continuing the tradition of Christmas City Follies with a strong cast and a wealth of material. In his words, "On the twelfth year of Follies, Touchstone gave to me: another amazing cast with boundless creativity!"

"Through the creative process, we get to examine the holiday season from all angles-from sublime to satirical-and reflect on the past year in the Christmas City," adds Touchstone Managing Director Lisa Jordan. "And we enjoy showcasing our community celebrities, supporters, and patrons - it's through the support of our community that Touchstone continues to grow."

As is traditional, Follies will feature a different guest from the community onstage every evening. This year's special guests include Eve Tannery of channel 69 news; a DJ from 99.9 The Hawk; Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, Joe Scull, Bethlehem local and longest-running Follies special guest with eleven shows under his belt; and other Lehigh Valley familiar faces.

Christmas City Follies XII plays December 1-18, 8pm Thursdays-Saturdays and 2pm Sundays. Tickets are $25, $15 for students and seniors. On Thursdays, Touchstone offers Pay-What-You-Will, where patrons purchasing tickets at the door may name their own price. To purchase tickets or for more information on the coming season, contact Touchstone Theatre at 610-867-1689 or visit www.touchstone.org