Oregon Children's Theatre Presents MERRY HAPPY EVERYTHING!

Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) presents Merry Happy Everything!, an original, three-part performance featuring local artists sharing favorite holiday stories and memories, a special holiday-themed improv performance from the teens of Impulse!, and a musical cabaret. Merry Happy Everything is the first holiday show that OCT has produced since 2003, and its return has been both exciting and nostalgic for Artistic Director Marcella Crowson. "After being away from the stage for so long, we're hoping to create a theatre experience that feels like the very best gathering of friends and family, with music and stories and lots of laughter."

While there are many holiday-themed productions, Crowson sought to create something truly unique and special. "There's such a breadth of holiday traditions, music and memories, I'm excited to create a one-of-a-kind show that brings folks together in a cozy place to share and revel in both the familiar and the new," Crowson commented. That warmth is reflected in the staging: performed in the Brunish Theatre inside the Antoinette Hatfield Hall, with a smaller seating capacity and more intimate space, the set resembling a scene from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, complete with holiday decorations, a fireplace, and a piano.

All performances feature improv and musical performances, along with a different guest artist for each show, who takes center stage to share their own personal holiday stories. "We wanted to invite local artists and guests to tell their favorite holiday memories," Crowson explained. "For so many of us, the stories we remember from our childhoods have a deep impact on us, and sharing that joy from such an intimate place is really what brings the magic of the season."

The guest artists are as varied as holiday traditions, including B. Frayn Masters (Host of Back Fence), comedians Rachel Rosenthal and Sam De Roest, Kirsten Kuppenbender (Host of Lez Stand Up), Chris Williams (Host of Porch Sessions), and many more. "We wanted to include as many voices as possible," Crowson said, "reflecting the whole spectrum of holiday traditions that people celebrate. The stories and memories each person shares has its own uniqueness and value, and that's really where the beauty of the holidays lies: in the commonalities-and the differences-we have with one another."

Performances run November 19-December 19, 2021.

Tickets for Merry Happy Everything! are on-sale now and can be purchased on OCT's website at http://www.octc.org, or by calling the box office at (503) 228-9571.