The theatrical Davis clan of the Pickleville Playhouse have announced that their annual holiday production of “Once Upon a North Pole Christmas” will be staged at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan on Dec. 3, 4 and 6.
GARDEN CITY – Close on the heels of their wildly successful Halloween production of The Addams Family, the theatrical Davis clan of the Pickleville Playhouse have announced that tickets are now on sale for their annual traveling Christmas Show.
That original musical production, written and directed by the Pickleville Playhouse’s madcap bard TJ Davis, is entitled Once Upon a North Pole Christmas. It is scheduled to play Nov. 26 to 30 at the Jeanne Wagner Theatre in Salt Lake City and Dec. 3, 4 and 6 at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan.
“For the past two years,” Davis says, “the Pickleville elves have been busy in their workshop preparing the most heartwarming and hilarious Christmas show ever.
“It will be the family holiday event of the season,” he adds.
Once Upon a North Pole Christmas will be something of a departure from Pickleville tradition, according to Davis.
His family has traditionally staged two shows in repertory at their rustic playhouse on the shores of Bear Lake over the summer. In 2019, they added The Addams Family to their annual schedule as a Halloween event. But Christmas shows from Pickleville Playhouse playing in Logan and Salt Lake City have been one of the highlights of the holiday season in northern Utah for more than a decade.
Since 2013, those Pickleville holiday shows have been musical parodies of the Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” starring Davis as his most infamous creation — Juanito Bandito.
“But (Once Upon a North Pole Christmas) does not have Bandito in it at all,” Davis explains. “We’re planning a Bandito show at some point in the near future – likely during the spring.
“But this one is a brand new show. Half of the show happens in the ‘real’ world and the other half happens in a magical North Pole world that’s part of the main character’s Christmas Eve dreams. It’s a really fun concept and has everything we think families want in a holiday show!”
As always, “everything” in a Pickleville production will include original music, dancing, comedy, improv and a whole lot more.
Tickets for upcoming performances of Once Upon a North Pole Christmas can be purchased online at https://www.picklevilleplayhouse.com