While hot chocolate, new flavors at Starbucks and the Jubilee of Trees will still happen this holiday season, Tuacahn is presenting something new: a musical called “Plaid Tidings.”
“Plaid Tidings,” a variation of “Forever Plaid,” is a cast of singers, The Plaids, named Fancis, Jinx, Smudge and Sparkey. They’re singers who find out they need to put a little harmony into the world and sing old, well-known Christmas songs.
Kevin Smith, Tuacahn chairman of the board, said the show is not a concert but a well-known musical.
“Many people know about the group ‘Forever Plaid,’” Smith said. “You can find them [on] YouTube. The show is great.”
Smith said the show will be at the Cox Auditorium on Dixie State College’s campus instead of at Tuacahn this year.
“The outdoor amphitheater is too cold during this season,” Smith said. “And we needed a place that sat more than the Tuacahn indoor theater. The Cox Auditorium turned out to be the perfect place.”
Associate producer Ryan Norton said this is the Tuacahn team’s first year producing a musical during the holiday season.
“We are very excited to be working with Dixie State College on this new adventure,” Norton said. “This is our first time producing this show, and it will be the first time it has been done with an all-professional cast.”
Tuacahn has been able to expand its season into the holidays with the use of the Cox Auditorium.
“One thing that makes this different than other events produced during the holidays is that it is an actual production, not like the concerts and annual Nativity that happen at the same time of year,” Norton said. “It’s a chance to go to the theater during the holidays and see a show.”
Norton said he thinks the show will do well and is looking forward to seeing the response.
“The thing I love about ‘Plaid Tidings’ is the simplicity and honesty of the show,” Norton said. “Music is the heart of the show, and it is so hysterical.”
He said there are a couple of Tuacahn favorites in the cast, including Tuacahn actor James Edwards and Todd Dubail, who have both played many of Tuacahn’s lead rolls.
“I know people are excited to come see them,” Norton said.
Norton said due to the size of the Cox Auditorium and how intimate the show is, his team is making adjustments to make it a good fit.
“We are hoping that this is just the beginning of our holiday productions at the Cox,” Norton said. “With that being said, we plan to grow the production size with each new show we bring in.”
Smith said having Dixie State College partnering with Tuacahn would be great for its future shows by being able to have a larger cast. He said the Tuacahn team hopes to someday get the copyrights to “Elf” and “Shrek” and do them with DSC.
“Plaid Tidings” starts Nov. 23 and runs Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets run between $16 to $20, depending on the seats.
