Preview: White Christmas and Elf: The Musical

Christmas is coming to Sacramento theaters early this year—really early. Two Yuletide-themed musicals start and end before Thanksgiving. White Christmas at Runaway Stage Productions and Elf: the Musical, staged by the California Musical Theatre, both run through November 15—before the holiday season really kicks off.

The directors for both shows admit they wished the productions ran closer to Christmas. “Scheduling at the Sierra 2 Center does not allow flexibility for show run dates,” says White Christmas’ producing director Bob Baxter. “It’s a challenge to get audiences to attend early holiday offerings.”

But Baxter looks at the bright side, saying the audiences tend to pick up in the middle of the run.

“By offering such a warm and fun classic holiday show … we make the magic happen, albeit a little early in the calendar,” he says.

The California Musical Theatre also faced scheduling conflicts: The Nutcracker Ballet takes over the Community Center in December. But Matt Hessburg, the show’s director of marketing, adds that while it’s still difficult to get people interested in early November, they have the advantage of a well-known and much-beloved movie-turned-show with Elf: the Musical. The show is based on Elf, the 2003 modern holiday classic starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel.

“The show has generated one of the most enthusiastic responses of any show in the season—people are really excited to see it,” he says.