THE WINTER VISITORS
Can a middle-aged man recapture the magic of Christmas? Or is it more likely to capture him first? Enjoy a Santa-free evening of music and madness, where the truth behind the holiday magic is stranger than you could ever have imagined.
VIDEO
SYNOPSIS
The Host seems maybe too old or too serious-minded to have hired a band and staged an event exploring the facts about Santa Claus, but, nevertheless, that is exactly what he has done. Having been disillusioned by his extensive research on the subject, he is set on revealing that Santa does not deliver toys all over the world in a single night, but instead relies on a global network of fantasy figures from different cultures. But as his explanation continues, these very characters begin to appear and disrupt his careful preparation. Saint Nicholas dances a soft shoe, and tells apocryphal stories about himself. Befana, the Italian witch, keeps crashing through the audience on her search for the Baby Jesus. Saint Lucy brings light and peace, while Colonel Sanders brings love and chicken. Mari Llwyd, the New Years ghost horse from Wales, beats the host in a rhyming contest. The Yule Lads (from Iceland), recommit themselves to being a force of chaos, and introduce the Host to Caga Tio, the Catalonian Christmas log that poops candy. Even Krampus makes an appearance, but he is prevented from abducting an audience member by Russia’s Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden. The Host even has to face a new winter apparition—a younger version of himself, who is less-than-impressed with the path his life has taken. All of this chaos eventually leads the Host to understand that he may not be able to return to the way things used to be, but that there is still magic to be found in the world, as long as he believes.
CAST
The Winter Visitors can be performed with a cast of 7 (3 men, 4 women), but has a flexible ensemble size that can accommodate more as desired.