By Jill Holloway – Thomasville Times Enterprise – December 21, 2023
THOMASVILLE- It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Thomasville On Stage and Company, as the community theater wrapped up its performances of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” on Sunday, before jumping into their Christmas Extravaganza on Monday and Tuesday.
Making its debut last year, the Christmas Extravaganza was originally a variety show of songs and dances put on by the Young Actors Troupe. However, TOSAC Young Actors Troupe representative Cameron Parker wanted to open up the show to the tall and small this season, crafting a sense of community during the holidays.
Parker said a combination of elements made him rethink the show.
“We did the Halloween performance and then a conflict in people’s schedules made us rethink this show,” he said. “But, I had been wanting to do an all-ages showcase since we performed “Into the Woods” here.”
Parker said “Into the Woods” was a great mix of adults, young adults, and kid actors.
“It really made me see that it worked really well and that we should try it again,” he explained. “I didn’t want to do it for Halloween, because it is the Young Actor’s favorite thing we do, so I thought why don’t I do it for Christmas, since Christmas is all about coming together for the holidays.”
Parker said the show drew in kids and adults who have displayed immense talent that he was excited to tap into.
The show featured Christmas classics, such as “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Blue Christmas.” It also featured catchy songs from kids’ favorite movies including “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch,” and “World’s Greatest Dad” from Elf.
Parker said adding kids and adults to the show brought a bigger crowd, along with new talent.
“Any time you have kids in the show, it’s going to fill more seats, but some of the older people bring their family from out of town,” he said. “It sold pretty well. It’s just good to have such a variety of cast members; that helps a lot.”
Parker said with the success of the Christmas Extravaganza, he plans to now alternate seasonal shows between the Young Actors Troupe and all ages. The Young Actors will put on a Love is in the Air show the weekend before Valentine’s Day, while a spring/summer showcase will be open to all ages.
“The Valentine’s Day show we are pretty excited about,” Parker said. “We might raffle off a Valentine’s Day dinner for two. We are looking forward to that.”
Parker encouraged everyone to keep their eyes peeled for more details to come and thanked all those who attended and performed in their first all-ages show.