Bilingual Holiday Celebration A MUSICAL PINATA FOR CHRISTMAS V Set for Teatro Paraguas

Teatro Paraguas is delighted to invite you to their A Musical Piñata for Christmas V, opening December 8th and running for two weekends. This festive bilingual evening of live music, carols, and comedy is the fifth annual holiday celebration at Teatro Paraguas.

TP's musical director JoJo Sena de Tarnoff has formed a lively ensemble of musicians, dancers, and actors, ranging in age from 4 to 70. The evening will begin with an original one-act play entitled Santa Fe, 1944- A Christmas Story, based on the memories of Buddy Rosacker who grew up in Santa Fe in that era. Mr. Rosacker narrates the play, which includes a scene with the Chili Line narrow-gauge railroad, and a miracle in the church in the wee hours of Christmas day.

The second act will open with Silvery Night, a short play by Chicano Theater pioneer Carlos Morton, about a young boy and a devil's mask left over from a Pastorela play. Pastorelas are miracle play-like pageants that, with song and dance, celebrate the coming of the Light to vanquish darkness.

JoJo Sena de Tarnoff leads the Teatro Paraguas Orquesta in traditional carols and contemporary seasonal music, with Mario Reynolds performing solos on the chango and Peruvian pipes. Carol Aubrey's young storytellers from Camino Real Academy will present a holiday story in Spanish, and Xochi Ehrl's young dancers from Casablanca Studios perform several original dances. Young dancers from Spiral Dance will perform original choreography by Ann Peleaz.

And Santa Claus is expected to make an appearance as well. At the finale of the evening, the children in the audience will be invited to help break a piñata on stage. ¡Dale dale dale!

Performances of A Musical Piñata for Christmas V are Fridays at 7:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm: beginning December 8 and closing on Sunday, December 17. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

This project is made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, Santa Fe Arts Commission, 1% Lodgers' Tax, McCune Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, and generous private support.

Reservations may be made by calling 505-424-1601. Advance tickets my be purchased at ChristmasPinataV.brownpapertickets.com.