APT For The Holidays?

As the summer begins, a reasonably large number of people begin to descend upon the tiny town of Spring Green Wisconsin for various reasons. A fair number of us will have gone there this summer for the American Players TheatreÂ’s annual summer season. With some really great actors and impressive production design in a beautiful spacae outdoors, itÂ’s a really great experience.

The company’s recently completed indoor Touchstone Theatre jut down the hil from its outdoor theatre is a far cozier environment that offers the option of year ‘round performances. The company recently announced its first ever holiday show. On November 28^th, the APT will open its production of The Gift of the Magi—a  musical adaptation of the classic O. Henry story written by multi-talented actor/playwright/childrenÂ’s book author James DeVita. Original music for the show is written by longtime APT collaborator Josh Schmidt.

A trip to Spring Green during the holidys sounds like a quaint journey to a small town for a solidly-produced piece of holiday fare. A show like this wouldnÂ’t be nearly as big a deal without a deent cast and the APT has announced a perfect trio for the show. Brian Mani will be playing the role of O. Henry himself. The two lovers will be played by real life married couple Marcus Truschinski and Tracy Michelle Arnold. The longtime APT actors should lend some sparkling authenticity to the production. The genuine family feel of the production should make this an interesting option for those willing to go a little further for a holiday show this coming winter.

The American Players TheatreÂ’s The Gifts of the Magi runs November 28^th-December 19^th at the Touchstone Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin.