December Shows Announced at Hedgerow Theatre

Celebrate the holidays all month long at Hedgerow Theatre, from December 1st to New Year's Eve. The 19th annual production of A Christmas Carol runs from the 1st to the 24th, A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail will entertain the little ones on Saturday mornings from the 3rd to 17th, a concert of 12 Carols will be sung by the St. Luke Chamber Choir on the 3rd, and Jared Reed performs his one-man A Dickens Christmas from the 8th to the 24th. Then it's time to ring in 2012 on the 31st with champagne at a special edition of the Nunsense sequel Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class, which runs from December 29th to January 15th.

A Christmas Carol has become a tradition at Hedgerow and many families return each year to revisit the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption. The production, which uses award-winning playwright Nagle Jackson's adaptation, is faithful to Charles Dickens' classic, and features a multi-generational cast and carols. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on December 1st and 2nd, 4th, 6th to 11th, 13th to 16th, and 18th to 23rd, Saturdays at 4 p.m. on the 3rd, 17th and 24th, and Sundays at 2 p.m. on the 4th, 11th and 18th.

The critically acclaimed A Dickens Christmas returns to provide a version of A Christmas Carol as told by the author himself. Charles Dickens traveled throughout England and to North America doing staged readings of his work, which inspired Juilliard-trained actor Jared Reed to do the same thing. Reed transforms himself not only into Dickens but all the characters in the story, including Belle and Tiny Tim. The limited engagement is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on December 8th, 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th and 24th, and at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21st, with a complimentary tea.

The 12 Carols were written by cellist Lesley Hopwood Meyer (1942-2003), who set traditional lyrics to her original music, then sent them out each year as her Christmas card to friends and family. The songs were arranged for eight voices by Jonathan Bowen, organist and choirmaster at the Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany, and will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on December 3rd. Admission to the concert is free, a gift to the community from Mrs. Meyers husband, architect Richard Meyer, but donations to Hedgerow are welcomed.

Pooh and his friends help Eeyore find his missing tail on Christmas Eve in A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail, a delightful musical adaptation of the A.A. Milne story by Dr. James W. Rodgers that sends a message about the value of friendship and sharing. It's scheduled at 11 a.m. on Saturdays, from December 3rd to 17th.

Veteran actress Micki Sharpe, who played Sister Robert Anne for four years in the original version of Nunsense at the Society Hill Playhouse, gets back in the habit in Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class. It's been called a hilarious one-woman show, in which the streetwise Brooklyn nun teaches the audience how to stage their own revue, using favorites from the seven popular Dan Goggin musicals. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on December 29th to 31st, January 5th to 7th, and 12th to 14th, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays, January 1st, 8th and 15th. There will be a champagne intermission on the 31st, and tickets for that evening at $35.

Tickets for A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail are $9 for children and $11 for adults. There's also a Children's Pick Six package of six tickets good for any combination of shows in the Children's Package for $53.

Adult ticket prices for Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows are $29, Thursday shows are $25, and Wednesday matinees are $22. There is a $3 discount for seniors; tickets for students with valid ID and children under 18 are $10. Previews are $20, with no additional discounts. Prices include all fees and borough taxes. Also available is a special Flex-Six package of six mix-and-match tickets to any show for $135 for adults or $115 for seniors.

For reservations, call 610-565-4211, or visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org. Hedgerow Theatre, America's First Repertory Theatre, is located at 64 Rose Valley Road, in Rose Valley (near Media).