Always a Tri-Community holiday favorite, Christmas in the Woods at Wrightwood Place on December 16 and 17, 2023, was no exception. Produced and directed by Gayle Dowling and Dr. Greg Jones with the Wrightwood Blues Society (WBS), Wrightwood Place owners Ray and Judy Bryson held the holiday extravaganza of the year at their beautifully garnished banquet hall.
Featuring a host of talented local performers, Center Stage Productions presented a Christmas gala to remember. With Dr. Sandy Visser-Jones and Dr. Greg Jones at the helm as Master of Ceremonies, the capacity crowd-filled weekend show was treated to an early Christmas present of Comedy, Song, and Dance.
Performing for most of the show in featured and accompanying roles, The WBS Christmas in the Woods house band was spot on with a top-notch cast of stage personnel behind the scenes, ensuring a smooth performance. Owner and lighting Design Engineer Judy Bryson expressed concern about the sold-out Saturday evening show. “We told everybody to come to the Sunday Matinee since Saturday was a sell-out,” said Judy. John Burcher and Craig Kupka on Brass, Toby Williams on Drums, and Leroy Speaks playing stand-up Bass, with featured performer Keyboardist Roger Whitten commanding the stage as this year’s WBS house band. Walter Foley on guitar and Colin Kupka on brass added a nice touch to the Sunday show which had a few variations of artists from Saturday’s line-up.
Many of the performers did double duty, like Stage Manager John Mark Veazey, who also stole the show from the “Grinch” while singing “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Modern dance artist Erin Ward tap danced through the popular holiday song while “The Grinch” cunningly crept around the stage, delighting the audience. Sunday’s Matinee would also feature dancing favorites, “Four Left Feet.” Local artists Bonnie Howard, Ben Kantor, and Oliver Kirkeby performed “Mary Did You Know?” and “Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah” with town favorites “Gayle and Company” playing a medley of Christmas favorites. After a performance of “This Must Be Christmas Eve” by T. A. Graydon, the crowd was treated to a Christmas medley by Piano virtuoso Rodger Whitten. Master of Ceremonies Dr. Greg Jones closed up the first half of the show by singing “Christmas Time Is Here.”
There were plenty of refreshments for all as the Chili Dinner was consumed and enjoyed by guests wearing many colorful Christmas sweaters to the show. There were several “ugly” sweaters and a few Santa hats in the audience as everyone enjoyed the evening. Always a crowd pleaser, the opportunity drawing had the crowd cheering while hoping their number would win them a colorful gift basket. After a short musical introduction, the show took a humorous turn with a short video interview of Wrightwood residents answering the 10,000.00-dollar question, “What are the reindeer’s names?” Not surprisingly, no one could guess them all. Anyone who could answer correctly would then have to answer the final question, What was Mrs. Claus’s maiden name?”
Brittan Webster got things hopping with “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bell Rock,” followed by Adam Webster singing “Let It Snow!” A comedy sketch by Sandy and Greg Jones, with the help of a few WBS Board members, added a final comedic touch to this well-organized event. With Gayle and Company finishing the show with “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” Claudia Campbell wrapped things up with her Christmas song, “A Tender Wrightwood Christmas.”
With the entire cast on stage for the finale, the crowd joined the performers for a heart-warming version of “Joy To The World.”
The Wrightwood Blues Society (WBS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the purpose of promoting charitable, educational, and musical activities honoring the American tradition of the Blues and its derivatives. The Wrightwood Blues Society is always looking for new members and can be reached at www.wrightwoodblues.org
