What to Watch this Winter
Emerald Coast Theatre Company heats up the stage
When winter brings a chill to the coast, the best place to be is enjoying the warmth and entertainment provided by the theater. Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s winter lineup provides a roster of productions that will warm the heart with comforting tales and lift the spirits with humorous portrayals.
The 2023 season concludes in the most fitting way with an adaptation of the Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol. The play, which first appeared on ECTC’s stage in 2020, is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s play, complete with characters you know and love — Tiny Tim; the Cratchit family; the Fezziwigs; the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come; and of course, the beloved curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge.
ECTC’s rendition will be directed by guest director Marci Duncan, and Bruce Collier will appear once again as Scrooge. While the play remains true to the tale, creative touches directed by Duncan enhance the holiday spirit, depicting Scrooge as a multidimensional character by delving deeper into his past.
The production will run from Dec. 8–22: Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 2:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
You’ll be transported back to the year 1958, as four young women prepare to graduate high school in the off-Broadway hit, The Marvelous Wonderettes — Caps and Gowns. This production is a sequel to The Marvelous Wonderettes, following the same characters, Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, as they say goodbye to their high school years and hello to their futures.
The Marvelous Wonderettes
The musical will feature smash hits from the ’50s and ’60s including Rock Around the Clock, At the Hop, Dancing in the Street, and River Deep, Mountain High, plus 25 others.
The show will be on stage from Jan. 19–March 3: Jan. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 21 and 24 at 2:30 p.m.; Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m.; Feb. 29, March 1 and March 2 at 7:30 p.m.; and March 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Noted as the “funniest play Broadway has ever seen,” The Play That Goes Wrong is a classic murder mystery packed with mishaps and madcap mania. Audience members are welcomed to opening night of a play called The Murder at Haversham Manor, when things quickly take a turn as actors forget their lines, props are misplaced, set pieces break and overall chaos consumes the production.
The production is guaranteed to keep you laughing during its run from Jan. 26–Feb. 4: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; and Wednesdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
“All three plays are very different, but they all have elements that will have you laughing and singing along,” said Nathanael Fisher, producing artistic director at ECTC. “The winter is a great time to escape the busyness of the holidays and the start of a new year and venture into a different world that theater creates.”
Save on tickets to all three shows by purchasing a winter subscription package through ECTC’s website, EmeraldCoastTheatre.org.
Emerald Coast Theatre Company
560 Grand Blvd., Suite 200, Miramar Beach | (850) 684-0323 | EmeraldCoastTheatre.org
