A Note from the Director: Dan Murphy
There are two things the United States of America can count on every year on the first Monday in October: a term of the Supreme Court begins, by statute, and the Broadway Rose holiday show begins music rehearsals. The leaves have barely changed color and here we are caroling about the lobby and starting to deck the halls.
Every year at this same time I can’t believe we are starting holiday music and before I know it, I completely buy into the fact that Christmas is drawing near as Halloween costumes and candy fill the store shelves. Each Monday for the month, the actors and music director work out the intricate harmonies and medleys and excitement builds.
One of the reasons this particular Christmas show is so meaningful to us at Broadway Rose is because we opened the New Stage, our first permanent home, in 2008 with this show under the title Celebrate Home. Our dear friend Abe Reybold, one of our go-to directors, put the whole thing together for us to celebrate our expansion to a year-round season with this beautiful new building. He considered it a Christmas card to all those who helped create this place. We presented an updated version a few years later under the title A Very Merry PDX-mas. Many theatres have traditions and we have decided to make this show one of ours. We put it on every few years with a facelift and a fresh coat of paint and we are ready to celebrate the holidays Portland-style. So whatever you may be celebrating this season, thanks for including us in your plans and I hope that we will become a tradition for you too.
