THE CRATER SISTERS' CHRISTMAS SPECIAL to Open at Maryland Ensemble Theatre
The show, written by John Morogiello and Lori Boyd, centers on a dysfunctional family reunion sparked by an ill-fated live broadcast.
Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) will present The Crater Sisters' Christmas Special, an original musical comedy by John Morogiello and Lori Boyd*, running Nov. 20 through Dec. 20 at MET.
Once one-half of a successful sister act, Bella Crater has spent years trying to recapture the fame she enjoyed alongside her sister, Lucy. Now she's convinced a streaming service to broadcast her live Christmas special, and Bella is determined to make it the comeback of the season. There's just one problem: Shortly before airtime, her cast and crew walk out.
With the clock ticking, Bella's overworked assistant, Tara, and Tara's aspiring-performer fiancé, Frank, hatch a plan to save the show: reunite the Crater Sisters. The catch? Bella and Lucy haven't spoken since 1989. What begins as an attempt to salvage a Christmas special quickly becomes a very public family reunion, complete with old resentments, show-business egos and the particular danger of trying to hold everything together when the cameras are already rolling.
The resulting holiday comedy combines the backstage mayhem of live television with an ultimately heartfelt story about family, ambition and second chances — and what can happen when a carefully planned Christmas spectacular goes spectacularly off-script.
Laura Stark* stars as Bella Crater, with Chelsey Megli as her estranged sister, Lucy Crater. Abigail Aronne plays Tara and Blake Myles Hopkins plays Frank. Bette Cassatt serves as swing for Bella and Lucy, Kelly Michael Mok as swing for Frank and Kate Lurie as swing for Tara.
Lynn Sharp Spears directs the production, with Melynda Burdette* as music director and Julie Herber* as choreographer. The production team includes stage manager Elena Echeandia, assistant stage manager Sebastian Hawes, scenic designer David DiFalco*, lighting designer Sophia Walper, sound designer Kevin Lloyd*, Costume Designer Brooke Mulkins and props designer and playwright Lori Boyd*. John Morogiello co-wrote the musical with Boyd.
Equal parts backstage farce, family reunion and holiday spectacle, The Crater Sisters' Christmas Special offers a decidedly unconventional addition to the holiday season — one where the show must go on, even when just about everything that can go wrong does. Beneath the show-business chaos is a story about family, forgiveness and discovering that a second chance might be the best gift of all.
* MET Ensemble Member
SHOWTIMES & TICKETS
- Dates: Nov. 20 - Dec. 20
- Time: 7:30 p.m. or 2 p.m.
- Location: Maryland Ensemble Theatre – 31 W Patrick Street, Frederick, MD
- Tickets: $10 - $50 each
Available online at www.marylandensemble.org, by phone at (301) 694-4744, or in person at the MET Box Office: Tues–Thurs: 12–6 p.m., Friday: 12–4 p.m., and one hour before showtime.
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