Theater for All

‘Home for the Holidays’ promises something for everyone during a challenging year

By JUDY ROYAL

Mountain Theatre Company’s “Home for the Holidays” is gearing up for its third season from December 6th through 22nd, and this year’s production is expected to take on a special meaning during a time when people need a cheerful distraction.

“This year has had its own hardships, between an election year and a hurricane destroying our surrounding communities, so we believe this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to sit in a theater with friends, family and strangers to all enjoy the gift the holiday season can bring,” said Erin Leigh Knowles, Director of Marketing & Outreach for Mountain Theatre Company as well as choreographer for the production. “No matter someone’s age, race, religion or cultural background, we hope to leave the audience members with a new sense of joy.”

“Home for the Holidays” started in 2022 and was the season’s final production in the old Highlands Playhouse that year. Each year since, Mountain Theatre Company has strived to create a show full of music, dance, joy, and laughter based on the community's current needs.

“Twenty-twenty-two’s focus was towards Santa's elves putting on a holiday spectacular for their fellow elves (the audience),” Knowles said. “In 2023, the concept was set around the elves broadcasting a production to every home to lift the spirit of Christmas. This year, 2024, our goal is to purely entertain and act as an escape for our community.”

“Home for the Holidays: Sounds of the Season” is a 90-minute production that features an all-star cast from across the nation singing festive favorites and original holiday arrangements. Mountain Theatre Company promises “dazzling costumes and theatrical magic that will leave the entire family in amazement.”

“We can guarantee a night of live theater that will rival Broadway,” Knowles said. “We bring in the best of the best performers, creative team and production quality to ensure Mountain Theatre Company audiences experience a stunning performance every night. With “Home for the Holidays,” we can offer you and your loved ones a night out at the theater, pure entertainment and joy, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.”

The show is featured at Highlands Performing Arts Center, and tickets are available from $58 to $70 at www.mountaintheatre.com. Children two and younger may sit on laps during the performance, but children three and older must have a ticket.

“The production is great for everyone,” Knowles said. “With our #Theatre4All mission, anyone under 18 and students local to surrounding counties can see the show for free. We also offer discounted $30 rush tickets an hour before the performance at the box office; availability is limited per performance. We hope to entertain audience members from all ages and backgrounds.”

Mountain Theatre Company’s Executive Artistic Director Scott Daniel is a co-writer and will direct “Home for the Holidays.”  He said, “The show was developed to give the community a holiday tradition. A shared community experience spreads joy, and joy is contagious. It is a show for all ages and denominations, with something for everyone. We hope the community will join us for this production and keep this tradition alive. After the storms greatly affected our season, we need the community's support now more than ever.”

Organizations such as Cullasaja Women's Outreach support Mountain Theatre Company's mission to bring live theater to everyone by underwriting discounted and complimentary tickets. Each season, local businesses and non-profits keep outreach programs vibrant and access to live theater and other programming available to the broader community.

The Free Backstage Pass, an informal post-show question-and-answer discussion with the cast and creative team members, is scheduled for December 15th, immediately following the 3:00 p.m. matinee. Patrons are invited to attend this 20-30 minute program.

Mountain Theatre Company, one of North Carolina’s oldest theater companies, began at the Highlands Playhouse, initially built as the auditorium for the Highlands School in 1931. In the mid-1930s, Jack and Virginia “Ted” Wilcox helped to create the first troupe of actors in Highlands. The amateur enthusiasts used the auditorium for summer theatre productions while school was out of session.

This troupe of summer players was formally organized as Highlands Little Theatre in the late 1930s. It was renamed Highlands Community Theatre in 1949. Over the decades, this dedicated troupe of players put on important works by notable authors. When the present Highlands School opened in 1952, the Town of Highlands acquired the auditorium building, giving the troupe of players a permanent home. In 1972, the theater became a non-profit organization, Highlands Community Theatre Inc. ​

As the organization grew over the next several decades, so did the number of shows produced and the number of talented actors, designers and technicians needed for each season. In the early 1980s, Highlands Community Theatre Inc. began hiring professional actors and technicians to share their talents with the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during the summer seasons. No longer a community theater, the organization's name was changed to Highlands Playhouse to match the building it had occupied for over 50 years.

In 2022, the organization rebranded again, changing its name to Mountain Theatre Company. It is now a professional regional theater presenting Broadway-quality musicals from June through December. In 2023, Mountain Theatre Company became the resident professional theater company at the new Highlands Performing Arts Center.