The play “Nicholas” begins a month-long run Dec. 1 at Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights.
The theater staged “Nicholas” last year, with “a tremendous response,” but this year’s performance features additional content “on the St. Nicholas end of things and a little bit more singing,” said Jeremy Stanbary, founder and executive artistic director.
Stanbary recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show producer Kayla Mayer to describe the upcoming production that runs the month of December.
This year’s production is “as much of an Advent play as it is a Christmas play, and people loved that last year; they were blown away,” Stanbary said. This year’s play “fits in beautifully with both Advent and Christmas,” he said.
Beyond the performance, attendees can walk through a 4,000-square-foot Christmas display this year, which Stanbary called “incredible.”
“We have a really fun and unique St. Nicholas collection, along with a Nativity collection, some villages, a bunch of big and exciting and fun Christmas displays,” he said, which include “lots of lights.” The displays will be open up to an hour before the show, during intermission and a half-hour after the show.
After “Nicholas,” the theater is turning to a Lenten production, which includes “a lot of music, singing, multimedia” in telling the stories of the Samaritan woman at the well, the blind beggar and the healing of Lazarus, Stanbary said.
Calling them “beautiful stories,” he said they help the faithful scrutinize “our own discipleship, our own walk with Christ, and our own life of faith.” The season ends next spring with “Lilies of the Field,” for which Sidney Poitier won a best actor Academy Award for the film version.
The arts have “a powerful way of reaching people,” Stanbary said. In telling stories of faith, hope and reconciliation, he said “if that’s not needed in our world today, I don’t know what is.” It is “so important” to bring beauty, goodness, truth and redemption to the world, he said. People are impacted by shows performed at Open Window, Stanbary said. “God’s grace is at work in all of it,” he said.
All productions are family-friendly, Stanbary said; there is a minimum age requirement. This season the theater is introducing on-site childcare for Saturday matinees, with advance registration required. To learn more or to buy tickets, visit openwindowtheatre.org or call the theater at 612-615-1515.
To hear more about “Nicholas” and details about the theater and productions, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Nov. 17 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. Nov. 18 and 2 p.m. Nov. 19.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Bishop Joseph Wiliams, who discusses Thanksgiving as a holiday of gratitude; and David Cruse, founder and chief executive officer of OréMoose, who describes his faith and his handmade leather goods business, which includes Bible covers, rosary pouches, bags and accessories.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
