CHRISTMAS BELLES Comes to Broadway Onstage Tonight

CHRISTMAS BELLES, a delightful Holiday Comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, is the next offering of the season at Broadway Onstage Live Theatre when it opens tonight, November 30. Running Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm through December 22, the production will also be offered during two special 2pm Sunday Matinees on Sunday, December 9 and Sunday, December 16.

Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (8 ½ Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe. The theatre is the home of the patented TeeVeeStage™ Presentation system, which employs cameras above the audience and monitors above the stage to provide audience members with different viewing perspectives of the live stage performance. Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is also the home of Dennis Wickline Productions, Inc., which began producing Non-Equity professional live theatre on the Eastside of Detroit in February of 1980.

CHRISTMAS BELLES takes place in the town of Fayro, Texas, and the Futrelle Sisters-Frankie, Twink and Honey Raye-are not exactly in a festive mood. Frankie is weeks overdue with her second set of twins. Twink, recently jilted, is in jail for inadvertently burning down half the town. And hot-flash-suffering Honey Raye is desperately trying to keep the Tabernacle of the Lamb's Christmas Program from spiraling into chaos. But things are not looking too promising: Miss Geneva, the ousted director of the previous twenty-seven productions, is ruthless in her attempts to take over the show. The celebrity guest Santa Claus-played by Frankie's husband, Dub-is passing a kidney stone. One of the shepherds refuses to watch over his flock by night without pulling his little red wagon behind him. And the entire cast is dropping like flies due to food poisoning from the Band Boosters' Pancake Supper. And when Frankie lets slip a family secret, all hope for a successful Christmas program seems lost, even with an Elvis impersonator at the manger. But in true Futrelle fashion, their hilarious holiday journey through a misadventure-filled Christmas Eve is guaranteed to bring joy to your world!

A great cast of area professionals and Broadway Onstage favorites will make this a very festive Holiday Production. Portraying the Futrelle sisters are Elizabeth Rager, Sarah Lynn Oravetz and Kelly Kucharski as Honey Raye, Frankie, and Twink respectively. Ms. Rager and Ms. Kucharksi were just seen in THE GREAT AMERICAN SEX FARCE! at Broadway Onstage and Ms. Oravetz appeared in THE PROBLEM OF CELL 13 and THE BROADWAY ONSTAGE MURDERS there two seasons ago. Rick Mason will be seen as Dub and Don Couture will appear as John Curtis. Mr. Mason was just seen as Michael in GOD OF CARNAGE at the Eastpointe theatre and Mr. Couture took on the role of Max in DIAL “M” FOR MURDER. Chris Peterson will portray Justin, the local minister and Rachel Dalton will appear as Patsy, the local busybody. Mr. Peterson has appeared with Birmingham Village Players and Ms. Dalton has taken on roles at Oakland University and other venues. Kate Dickinson takes on the role of Gina Jo, Dub and Frankie’s older daughter, and Jane Burkey will be seen as Geneva, the former director of the Christmas Program. Ms. Dickinson was just seen in Grosse Pointe Theatre’s recent production of HAIRSPRAY and Ms. Burkey has directed a number of shows at Broadway Onstage. The cast is completed by Stella Woitulewicz as Rhonda Lynn and Dan Woitulewicz as Raynerd, the wagon-pulling shepherd. Mr. and Mrs. Woitulewicz have appeared with Eastpointe Players and Matrix Theatre. The production is under the able direction of veteran director Beverly Dickinson. Ms. Dickinson has directed a number of productions for Grosse Pointe Theatre, Stagecrafters, and Birmingham Village Players.

Tickets for Opening Night tonight, November 30 are $15. Tickets for all other performances are $18. Group Rates and Performances are available. Again, Broadway Onstage is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (8 1/2 Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe, Michigan. Ticket Reservations are recommended by calling (586) 771-6333.

Pictured: Elizabeth Rager as Honey Ray, Kelly Kucharski as Twink, Sarah Lynn Oravetz as Frankie in CHRISTMAS BELLES at Broadway Onstage Live Theatre, running Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm from November 30 through December 22 with two special 2pm Sunday Matinees on Sunday, December 9 and Sunday, December 16. Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (81/2 Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe. Ticket Reservations are strongly recommended by calling the Ticket and Information Hotline at (586) 771-6333.

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