It’s my favorite time of the year! If you love the holidays and family entertainment, then you don’t want to miss the Gaslight Theatre’s performance of The Secret Santa. My family and I were hosted by The Gaslight Theatre in exchange for a review of its Christmas show, The Secret Santa, but as always, all opinions are my own. Don’t be a grinch - The Secret Santa will get you in the Christmas spirit! Here are 5 reasons to see The Secret Santa!
Santa (David Orley) with Franklin (Jake Chapman) and Holly (Janee Page).
5 Reasons to See the Gaslight Theatre’s The Secret Santa
I look forward to The Gaslight Theatre’s Christmas performances every year. This year, The Secret Santa is making any appearance at The Gaslight Theatre and my family and I loved it, including my 7 year old son. From the holiday music to the costumes and theater backdrops, here are 5 reasons to see the Gaslight Theatre’s performance of The Secret Santa!
The Holiday Music and Dance Sequences
The Gaslight Theatre is known for its live entertainment and The Secret Santa really exemplifies that. Not only are the performers extremely talented, but so is the live band. It really put me in the holiday mood and made me want to start putting up my Christmas decorations. And the dance sequences that accompany the music - they range from comical to sentimental. This is one sleigh ride you’ll want to hop on, for the music and dance sequences alone!
The Costumes
The Gaslight Theatre is also known for its costumes but I really thought the costumes were exceptional for The Secret Santa, from Holly the Elf’s striped leggings to the scarves worn by some of the characters. During one scene, Franklin looks like a wrapped package, complete with a bow on the top of his head. And then there’s St. Nick himself. His costume makes him look like the real Santa, white beard and all.
Santa (David Orley) with his reindeer!
The Props and Theatre Backdrops
The set designer at The Gaslight Theatre is a genius. The sets range from Santa flying on a sled with reindeer, to a toboggan race, to a toy factory, to a sled ride. Not to mention the Christmas decorations, like the Christmas tree. Merryville, the fictitious town where the story takes place, really does look like the North Pole! Now if I could just get them to decorate my house with Christmas decorations 😉
The props are a lot of fun!
The Happy Days Christmas Olio
There’s always an olio at the end of each performance and this time it’s themed Happy Days. Join the Fonze, Richie, Joanie and the rest of the Happy Days crew as they celebrate Christmas! The performers sing songs like Rock Around the Clock and Santa Claus is Back in Town. Our absolute favorite, though, was when Alvin and the Chipmunks (Mike Yarema, Jake Chapman, and Charlie Hall) made an appearance on stage! This is one of the things I love about the Gaslight Theatre. It doesn’t matter if you’re not familiar with Happy Days (like my son) - you and your kids will still be able to enjoy it!
Alvin and the Chipmunks make an appearance during the olio!
The Secret Santa is Extremely Kid Friendly
My 7 year old son loves Christmas and this was right up his alley. There aren’t any curse words or sexually suggestive scenes. The corny jokes and slapstick comedy always makes him laugh and he loved seeing a stuffed animal looking like Pikachu on stage as one of the toys in the toy factory. The storyline is also easy to understand. My son told us “I think I know why it’s called The Secret Santa. Because no one knows it’s the real Santa.” And that’s the gist of it! Not only did he enjoy seeing Santa on the stage, but he especially loved seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks in the Happy Days Christmas Olio as well as the Rockin’ Reindeers 🙂 There’s a reason why I’ve listed the Gaslight Theatre as one of my favorite places to take kids in Tucson.
My son always looks forward to going to the Gaslight Theatre!
About The Secret Santa
Here’s a little more about The Gaslight Theatre presents The Secret Santa:
It’s Christmas season in the 60’s in Merryville, but not everybody is feeling the holiday cheer. Barkley Simpson, a local businessman has weaseled his way up the ladder to become the right-hand man to the owner of the Cogsworth Toy Factory. Simpson has convinced CC Cogsworth, that it’s no longer about toys and holiday cheer, but instead, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY! Simpson secretly halts toy production and puts his plan to ruin Christmas into full swing! Unaware of the boss’ sinister plans, the joyful toy makers of the Cogsworth Toy Factory are excited to be on track for a record year in toy production and make this the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! However, if Simpson’s plan works, it is sure to squash the Christmas spirit within the towns-people! Convinced that a lawn mower factory would be a much more lucrative business, Cogsworth and Simpson will stop at nothing to get their way and shut the toy factory down! When the dedicated toy makers catch on to Simpson’s conniving plans, they are more intent than ever on making this a record year for toy production and saving Christmas in Merryville! Just when it seems they have run out of options, help arrives from an unexpected source…a mysterious old toy maker. The mystery man, Nick and his niece Holly seem to have a few Christmas saving tricks up their sleeve and they are determined to bring Christmas cheer back into the heart of Merryville! Join the great citizens of Merryville as they laugh, sing, and dance their way to stopping the bad guys, saving the toy factory and making this THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!
LOCATION?
The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710
TICKET PRICES?
Tickets cost $23.95/person and discounts are available for children, students, seniors and members of the military.
- Adults: $23.95
- Students, Seniors, Military: $21.95
- Children ages 2-12: $13.95
*Prices above do not include tax
**Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (520) 886-9428 or by visiting the box office in person. The box office is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm.
***Reservations are required. The performances sell out months in advance, especially the weekend performances and the Christmas shows.
WHAT ARE THE DATES FOR SECRET SANTA?
November 14, 2019 through January 5, 2020
SHOWTIMES?
- Mondays through Thursdays: 2 pm, 5 pm and 7:30 pm
- Fridays: 3 pm, 6 pm and 8:30 pm
- Saturdays and Sundays: 12 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm
- Closing show on January 5, 2020 at 12:30 pm
I really enjoyed this musical.