WILMINGTON — Remember the anticipation you felt each year when your favorite Christmas cartoon special was going to finally be shown on TV? This Christmas season you can look forward to “Murphy’s Cartoon Christmas,” a holiday tradition and live performance that can’t be streamed on Netflix.
“Murphy’s Cartoon Christmas” will take you on a trip down memory lane at the historic Murphy Theatre. Presented by The Tom E. Dailey Foundation, Wilmington Savings Bank, and United Healthcare, “Cartoon Christmas” will feature performances on the stage that will be converted into one large TV screen. Additional support for this production is provided by The Leland Family Foundation and The Charlie Fischer Trust.
Come early and show your ticket at “Santa’s Soda Shoppe,” where you can see Santa and Mrs. Claus and take a photo with Santa using your own camera.
The Murphy lobby will offer several signature holiday drinks, including coffees and “Charlie’s Christmas Cocktail.”
Once you find your seats, stay tuned when the cast takes the stage with this fun-filled program that will bring classic Christmas cartoon songs to life.
This year’s show features the Murphy Singers and the Murphy Choir with routines choreographed by Cassie Smith of Wilmington Performing Arts Studio. Joining the adults will be audience favorite the Murphy Kids, directed by Murphy Theatre Artistic Director Timothy Larrick, with the assistance of Becky Riley.
Groups rounding out the cast include: the Murphy Violins, under the direction of Maretta Alden; the Wilmingtones show choir, under the direction of David Beck; the award-winning Fancy Free Cloggers, under the direction of Evie Poe; and the Clinton-Massie Falconettes, under the direction of Jackie Anderson.
Joining the Murphy Christmas show for the first time are the students of Turn Out Dance Academy of Waynesville, under the direction of Stephanie Hughes.
“Cartoon Christmas” showtimes are Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9, at 7:30 p.m., and matinees on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at the theater box office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday as well as online at themurphytheatre.org.
