Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present a festive new production titled “Home for the Holidays” Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 5-7 and 12-14 in Forest Roberts Theatre. The show is about a group of NMU students who convene to share tales of their diverse family traditions before they journey home for the holidays. It features musical singing and dance numbers—many familiar—with bits of dialogue to tie it all together.
“Home can mean a lot of different things to different people, and the holidays are a momentous time for various reasons,” said Karina Johnson, who developed and is directing the production. “Everyone has their own memories, traditions and family experiences they really love or love to hate. I've been wanting to create something like this for a while, and I tried as much as I could to include some diverse stories as well.”
As an example, Johnson said MJ Opulencia, a student from the Philippines who hasn't been home for the holidays in four years, choreographed a dance that means a great deal to her and reflects her country's customs. There is also Irish step dancing, clogging, tap, traditional Christmas hymns and classic carols, and a Sankta Lucia number choreographed by student Abigail Foskuhl.
Johnson also selected other dance students with previous choreography experience to assist with the production. Don'Tae Mitchell worked on “Grown Up Christmas List” and the Jackson Five's “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Gianna Daprai developed a number that “encapsulates the craziness and chaos that comes from her holiday family dinners,” and Emma Houston choreographed a song where all of the students are old men tap dancing.
“It's a quite an eclectic group, and they're all having a great time,” Johnson added. “It's been quite a process, but it's coming together nicely. I've spent the past three to five years thinking of a show like this that I could put together and now it's finally coming to fruition. I'm grateful I've been given this opportunity, and I hope that people can appreciate it and find their own little stories tied in among all of those we're telling in this production.”
Before the curtain rises on this family-friendly event, Santa Claus will visit the Forest Roberts Theatre lobby for one hour before each performance. Photos with the jolly old elf are encouraged.
Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. throughout the run, with a 1 p.m. Theatre for All sensory-friendly performance on Saturday, Dec. 7, and an additional 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tickets are $25 for the general public; $22 for NMU employees, seniors and military; $15 for youth; and $5 for NMU students. They can be purchased at nmu.universitytickets.com.