Looking for some holiday entertainment at Livingston County’s newest theater offering? A Wilde Theatre is gearing up for its presentation of “Nuncrackers — The Nunsense Christmas Musical (by Dan Goggin),” which will run Dec. 6-15, 2019 at the Brighton Coffeehouse and Theater in downtown Brighton.
Lynn Wilde is, unsurprisingly, the founder of A Wilde Theatre. Area theater-goers are likely well-familiar with Wilde, who worked at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea and is active in the Pinckney Players, where she serves as board president. When her “day job” found her traveling to Brighton, she wondered why such a vibrant downtown lacked a professional theater scene. She contacted Amy and Marcus Goller, owners of the Brighton Coffee House and Theater, and A Wilde Theatre now commands a 70-seat flexible performance space.
“During an actual show, the coffeehouse closes its doors to the outside public and curtains are put on the windows. All the tables are removed and the space becomes a reserved-ticket theater space,” Wilde said. “It’s really wonderful.”
Starting a local professional theater may seem daunting, but Wilde claims the most surprising thing so far has been how quickly it all came together and the support she has received not only from BCAT, but from local businesses with advertising.
“I’m also surprised by how far away the actors have come to audition/perform at the BCAT,” Wilde said. “My first two shows, ‘Love, Loss and What I Wore’ and ‘Leaving Iowa’ had actors from as far away as Lansing, Bloomfield Hills, Brownstown and Waterford.”
“Nuncrackers” is a “Nunsense” Christmas special, with the sisters producing their own cable Christmas show. The “TV Special” is filled with “Nunsense” humor, some of your favorite carols, a “Secret Santa,” on-air advertisements for the Catholic Home Shopping Network, and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet. This Christmas special has plenty of songs, dance, comedy, skits, and a special cameo visit from everyone’s favorite nun-puppet, St. Mary Annette. Songs including: “Twelve Days Prior to Christmas,” “Santa Ain’t Comin’ To Our House,” “We Three Kings of Orient Are Us,” and “It’s Better to Give Than To Receive,” to name a few.
“Nuncrackers” is directed by Lynn Wilde, with musical director Dan Mikat and choreography by Annie Yockey, and features plenty of local talent in Angie Dill, Alyssa Friday, Amy Goller, Kelly Hayner, Laura Manderncak, Jon King, Sophia Acevedo, Ava Goble, Ethan Norton and Griffin Peltier. All seats are reserved and tickets are now on sale at the Brighton Coffeehouse & Theatre, or online at A Wilde Theatre. Unsold tickets will also be available at the door. If you would like an amazing cup of coffee or a sandwich before the show, be at the coffeehouse 30 minutes prior to the performance so the production can start on time.
