by Noella Noelophile®
The cast of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, 2024. Photo by Rich Soublet II, and used with permission
Really? It’s already December 10th–two weeks till Christmas Eve?
December always seems to evaporate like marshmallows in hot chocolate.
But San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre has Christmas shows happening from now through December 31st.
(from left) Andrew Polec as The Grinch and Tommy Martinez as Young Max in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, 2024. Photo by Rich Soublet II, and used with permission.
They’re presenting Dr. Seuss’s beloved classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, almost daily from now till New Year’s Eve. (No show is listed for next Monday, December 16th.) Evening performances take place at 7:00, with weekend matinees at 2:00 pm. There will be an open-caption performance this Friday evening, December 13th.
They’re also offering their fifth annual sensory-friendly AXIS event this Saturday morning, December 14th, from 8:00 am to 9:45 am. Festive music, storytelling, a DIY crafts workshop on the plaza and a photo opportunity with “the Grinch” himself will all be part of the program.
Then, at 10:00 am, the sensory-friendly performance begins.
(from left) Andrew Polec as The Grinch and Tommy Martinez as Young Max in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, 2024. Photo by Rich Soublet II, and used with permission.
Now, what exactly is a “sensory-friendly” performance?
According to the Old Globe’s website, it’s a show with fewer loud noises and flashing lights than may occur during the performance otherwise. There will also be a quiet area in the lobby, for children who need to leave their seat during the performance, as well as on-site volunteer specialists, on hand to assist families as they arrive at the theatre and throughout the show.
In addition, the Old Globe has an online social story on their website, of what families can expect to see onstage during the show. There are also sensory-friendly photos online, and families can call ahead for an appointment to familiarize themselves with the theatre layout and Balboa Park.
In other words, a very thoughtful gift.
(Royalty-free image by u_77amnew648 from Pixabay.)
But the Grinch isn’t the only Christmas character whom the Old Globe will be hosting.
From this Thursday, December 12th, up till Christmas week, Old Scrooge once again learns his lesson of love and redemption–courtesy of San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award-winning actor Jefferson Mays.
This is a new version of Jefferson Mays’ one-man interpretation of the beloved classic–in which he portrays over 50 characters!
Evening performances begin at 7:00, with matinees at 2:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
(Royalty-free image by manseok_kim from Pixabay.)
And if you’re stuck for a Christmas gift to give someone special, and are in the local area, here might be an idea.
The Old Globe has announced their 2025 season, which includes world premieres of the musical Regency Girls and the musical comedy Huzzah!, which, just on reading the description, sounds like a lot of fun. Imagine taking that special person to a night out in San Diego, with a nice dinner and tickets to see one of these amazing shows? And one more note: their gift certificates, according to their website, never expire!
Just a thought–and I’m sure your gift recipient won’t respond with a “Bah, humbug”! Quite the opposite.