12 Miles West Presents A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 12/18-20

12 Miles West is celebrating the holidays with a sparkling radio play adaptation of the family favorite Miracle on 34th Street. ‘Tis the season for miracles and the company will be presenting this festive fare to delight audiences young and old at Playwrights Theatre, 33 Green Village Road in Madison. The show will be performed three times only: December 18th and 19th at 8pm and December 20th at 3pm.

Based on the classic film originally released 60 years ago, Miracle on 34th Street is the story of what takes place in New York City following Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as a single mother and her daughter, a lawyer, and many others are left wondering whether or not a department store Santa just might be the real Mr. Claus. "It's a great story-that inspired so many young and old alike to open their hearts and believe," says director Liz Zazzi, who adapted the radio play. The choice of this play at this time was a very pointed one for 12 Miles West Artistic Director Lenny Bart. "This has been a difficult year for many families including ours at 12 Miles West," says Bart. "Funding cuts are having a serious impact on our ability to go forward. This seemed just the right time to spread a little of Kris Kringle's magic and hope for a few miracles for us and all those in need this holiday season."

The staged radio play is an unusual theatrical experience. As they enter, the audience will be transported back to a radio studio in the 1940's. They'll see actors preparing for, and presenting, a radio version of Miracle on 34th Street. They'll get to see actors creating characters with just their voices and the same actor playing multiple parts. The production will have a live organist creating the mood, original Lux Soap commercials and a festive sing-along. Best of all, the audience will get to see the sound crew creating sounds live-slamming doors, running footsteps, bags and bags of mail being delivered-the way they were created on old-time radio.

These radio recreations have become an annual tradition for 12 Miles West. The theater company, now in its 18th season, has produced staged radio versions of Dracula, War of the Worlds, The Shop Around the Corner and Merry Christmas, George Bailey! over the past several seasons. "The radio play creates a unique theatrical event," says Lenny Bart, Artistic Director of the company. "It's not a stage play, it's not a radio drama, it's not a concert reading. It combines elements of all of these-and adults and kids all seem to love it." Fans of New Jersey theater will be delighted to see so many of their favorite performers on stage together including: Bill Bensburg, Stephanie Carr (Palisades Park), Joe Caruso (Summit), Rick Delaney (Orange), Valerie Stack Dodge (Morris Plains), Addision and Alyssa Freitas (Cedar Grove), Soula Garcia (Bloomfield), Sharon Gary (Montclair), Leonard Klein (Montclair), Jerry Lazar (Teaneck), Dylan Manigian (West Orange), Paul Mantell (Kinnelon), Paul Murphy (Montclair), and Terri Sturtevant (Hillsborough).

The holiday radio play version of Miracle on 34th Street will be presented by 12 Miles West as a special fundraiser on Friday and Saturday, December 18 & 19 at 8pm and Sunday, December 20 at 3pm. All tickets are $15.12 Miles West Theatre Company is in residence at Playwrights Theatre, 33 Green Village Road, Madison, NJ 07940. For reservations or additional information, call 12 Miles West at (973) 259-9187 or purchase tickets on-line at www.12MilesWest.org.

There will be a special encore performance on Sunday, December 27 at 2pm at The Newark Museum. For information and tickets to that performance, visit www.NewarkMuseum.org

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