Vivian Bayubay Will Lead EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS at OFC Creations Theatre

OFC Creations Theatre has announced the casting of Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin as Mrs. Alice "Ma" Otter in "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas" next season. Vivian is best known for co-hosting Disney Channel's Out of the Box series (Emmy nominated and winner of three Parents' Choice Awards), as well as Sesame Street English.

She has also appeared in countless commercials for Western Union, Sun Microsystems, MSN, and Visa as well as recorded audiobooks for Random House, Scholastic, and Bantam Doubleday.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is OFC's second musical in the 2025-2026 Broadway in Brighton Series, and OFC is one of the first theatres in the country to present the new stage musical.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas brings the beloved Jim Henson television special to life, live on stage. Hailed by The New York Times for its "superb score" by Academy Award-winning songwriter Paul Williams (The Rainbow Connection), this nostalgic tale takes audiences to Frogtown Hollow, where Ma and Emmet Otter risk what little they have to make each other's holiday dreams come true.

It's three days before Christmas and Mayor Fox has just announced a Christmas talent contest with a grand prize of fifty dollars! Meanwhile, times are tough for Ma and Emmet Otter since Pa passed away, and winning that prize money would allow them to secretly buy each other a Christmas gift. Emmet considers forming a jug-band with his friends, but in order to do that he'll have to put a hole in Ma's washtub. The problem is, Ma earns money by doing other folks' laundry in the washtub. Ma thinks about hocking Pa's old toolbox so she can make a costume for the contest, but Emmet uses those tools to do odd jobs. As Christmas Eve and the talent contest quickly approach, will Ma and Emmet sacrifice what little they have, or will their Christmas wishes come true?

The music and lyrics for Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas are written by the legendary Paul Williams, the recipient of an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and three Grammy Awards. His songs The Rainbow Connection and Evergreen; are included in the American Film Institute's List of Top Movie Songs of All Time. The New York Times called Williams's score for Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas "as playful as it is heart-whole beautiful," which includes now classic tunes "When The River Meets The Sea" and "Our World" as well as tons of new songs for the stage adaptation.

The entirety of OFC's 2025-2026 Broadway in Brighton Series is comprised of six professional musical productions under the direction of OFC's Executive Director Eric Vaughn Johnson, featuring performers from New York City, Los Angeles, and across the country, continuing OFC's inclusion of celebrities in featured roles across the season.

This season's focus is centered around the importance of family, the family you are born into and your chosen family found along life's journey. The series will include: Finding Neverland, the first Rochester-produced production and one of the first regional theatres in the country to perform; Emmet Otter Jug-Band Christmas: The Musical, another regional premiere where again, OFC is one of the first to produce it in the country, starring Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin as Mrs. Alice "Ma" Otter (From Disney's Out of the Box and Sesame English); Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, a first Rochester-produced production, starring Garrett Clayton as The Grinch (From Teen Beach Movie, The Fosters, and Hairspray LIVE!); Hello, Dolly!, starring Elaine Hendrix from The Parent Trap; The Bodyguard: The Musical, the breathtaking romantic thriller starring Aliyah Khaylyn from NBC's "The Voice;" and Over the Rainbow: The Golden Girls Musical, where our favorite ladies are back in a world premiere! Families come in all shapes and sizes, and OFC strives to reflect this beauty through their shows onstage and off.

"We are committed to bringing beloved shows to Rochester that are not often produced, unique musicals that vary in origin and genre, and stories you know you'll love but may not have known existed," shares Johnson about the new season. "OFC works directly with authors, estates, and special professional licensing agreements to secure a series we're proud to make part of our legacy."

Vivian earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She now lives in California where she teaches voice and piano and works as a music director for schools, children's theaters, and community productions. While some of her students have gone on to perform on Broadway, her primary goal remains to cultivate a deep appreciation for musical theater and vocal technique.

Emmett Otter's Jug-Band Christmas was Vivian's favorite childhood movie and is now watched by her family every December as a Christmas tradition. She is excited to be portraying Ma Otter having grown up listening to this wonderful score and because of the role's focus on family, hope, and gratitude.