By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
People’s Light
If it’s December, “A Christmas Carol” must be on the calendar of live theaters around the area. It’s a time-worn holiday tradition.
This year, People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, peopleslight.org) is presenting a production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” now through January 4 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage.
But it’s not the Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” you’ve grown to know and love over the years.
With inventive and joyful staging by People’s Light Producing Director Molly Rosa Houlahan (Hurricane Diane, Little Shop of Horrors), the company’s Producing Artistic Director Zak Berkman brings Dickens’ beloved classic to life through the eyes of a child.
“People’s Light used to present ‘A Christmas Carol’ regularly 25 years ago,” said Berkman, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as he negotiated rush hour traffic on the Blue Route. “It was a mainstay.
“Then, there was a long battle to move away from ‘A Christmas Carol.’ In 2017, Abby (Artistic Director Emerita Abigail Adams) handed me a beautiful annotated version of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
“I was always a Dickens’ fan since fourth grade. There have been a thousand adaptations including the Muppets.
“What struck me was that is not just a story about a terrible man, it is also a story about a community welcoming something back. It was a story about grief – lost parents, lost sisters, the lost Marley.
“Molly and I were looking at doing a new production in 2020 and then COVID came. In 2021, everybody understood going through grief and loss.
“We did an iteration in 2021 and another in 2023. But we never really cracked it until this year. We got a show that wasn’t impacted by the world around it.”
In this surprising and whimsical adaptation, audiences follow Ebenezer Scrooge and a gathering of benevolent ghosts on a journey through time showing the redemptive power of kindness, hope, and love.
This imaginative retelling features traditional English carols woven with a Barrymore-nominated original score by Berkman and arrangements by the celebrated “musician’s musician,” Mitch Chakour.
“I’m a musician and composer but that’s not my trade,” said Berkman. “When we were kids, my brother and I would do our version of ‘A Christmas Carol.’
“We listened to British carols and used personal history to come up with original music. We got new songs and figured out how to integrate them with the story.
“I was always interested in all these 19th-century folk songs and was looking for a new way to connect with current audiences.”
So, Berkman brought “A Christmas Carol” to life through the eyes of a child. It is set in the attic of a 10-year-old boy.
“In this version, the story is really told by a group of spirits who have visited this young boy in his attic,” said Berkman. “Instead of Victorian England, we’re in this boy’s playroom.
“Through the story, we find out what is the connection between the young boy and the spirits. There is an ensemble of actors – a group of spirits who tell the story.
“Everything about it is the story people know but there is a different framework to the story – explaining why we are in this young child’s attic.”
People’s Light’s “A Christmas Carol” will also feature eight talented young artists from the company’s Teen
Performance Lab, making their professional theatre debuts and performing in rotating ensembles throughout the run.
“We have eight teenage actors, and they love this kind of storytelling,” said Berkman.
“We have a five-member band with Justin Yoder as the music director – and cello player. The band also has violin, keyboards, guitar and drums. David Lutken, who plays Marley, also plays a song.”
This imaginative retelling features traditional English carols woven with a Barrymore-nominated original score by Berkman and arrangements by the celebrated “musician’s musician,” Mitch Chakour.
“Molly and I also made an album of the music, which will be sold at the show,” said Berkman. “We recorded it this summer at Milkboy Studio in Philadelphia, Spirit House Studio in Masachusetts and Atlantic Studio in New York.
“There are nine full original songs and excerpts of traditional songs. I called Mitch and he was eager to work on the project.”
Chakour is a keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and arranger who has played with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, J. Geils Band and Warren Haynes.
He was Joe Cocker’s music director, keyboardist and vocalist in the 70’s and 80’s. He has a diverse resume that includes dates with B.B. King, James Brown, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck Berry, Buddy Miles, Matt Guitar Murphy, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Peter Wolf.
Recently he has arranged songs and performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Massachusetts Symphony.
Chakour has supported the musicianship and aspirations of many young musicians, who have gone on to successful careers in music. Berkman is one of them.
“I grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts,” said Berkman. “When I was in sixth grade, I played a U2 song – ‘New Year’s Day’ – at an elementary school pop concert. Mitch heard me play and said he wanted to work with me.”
They’re still at it 43 years later and their latest collaboration can be heard this month at People’s Light.
People’s Light remains committed to making theatre accessible and welcoming for all.
A Relaxed Performance will be offered on December 7 at 2 p.m., featuring audio description, American Sign Language interpretation (provided by Hands UP Productions), and a pre-show sensory tour at 1 p.m. where guests can interact with set and prop elements and ask questions.
This inclusive performance offers a “shush-free” environment where audience members are free to move around, vocalize, or step out and return as needed.
Additionally, Open Captioning will be available during all performances from December 30-January 4, displaying dialogue on an LED screen to support patrons with hearing impairments and English language learners.
Video link for People’s Light — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zICXuBNoPuY.
“A Christmas Carol” will run now through January 4 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage at People’s Light.
Ticket prices start at $35.
People’s Light will also host “Santa’s Brunch” on December 7 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Visitors will be able to get into the holiday spirit with a delicious brunch and a visit from St. Nick himself.
People’s Light will be offering a buffet of delightful holiday fare that the whole family will love.
Additionally, Santa Claus will be there to spread cheer and take photos with your little ones.
Tickets are $45 for adults and $20 for kids (12 and under).
Brandywine Valley Symphony
The Brandywine Valley Symphony (bvsymphony.org) will present the third concert in its debut season on December 6 at the Chester County History Center (225 North High Street, West Chester).
This concert will have a special attraction – holiday music.
As part of the BVS Chamber Music presentations, “Holiday Concert” will be performed by the BVS Brass Quintet.
“This will be our second annual holiday concert,” said Brandywine Valley Symphony Artistic Director Michael Hall during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Prince George, British Columbia.
Hall is in the Canadian city where he is Music Director of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. Prince George is located on the west coast of British Columbia between Vancouver and Alaska.
“I work with two symphony orchestras – the Brandywine Valley Symphony, which is the main one, and the Prince George Symphony Orchestra,” said Hall.
“I’m up here doing ‘The Nutcracker’ with a local dance company this weekend. I hate to miss the Chester County show, but a brass quintet doesn’t need a conductor.”
With or without Hall, it promises to be a great show.
“Our holiday concert in West Chester last year was a very successful event,” said Hall. “We’re building a tradition.
“It’s a family-friendly concert. Attendees can also explore the exhibitions there. And there will be snacks and hot drinks.
“It’s a one-hour concert with no intermission which features a lot of favorite Christmas carols and arrangements
“The Chester County History Center seats 300. It’s perfect for a brass concert because you need a lot of space.”
Surrounded by over 300 years of history at Chester County History Center, audiences will enjoy arrangements celebrating the holidays with the joyful sounds of carols and festive classics.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. which allows ticket holders time to explore exhibits, including the award-winning “Becoming Chester County” and the “Season of Lights” display. The event also features locally baked cookies and hot beverages.
A brass quintet features two trumpets, a French horn, a trombone and a tuba. Together, the musicians will offer a program filled with holiday favorites, including the opener, “Joy to the World,” and the final piece, “Sleigh Ride.”
The first section is “Sounds of the Holidays” with “Ding Dong Merrily On High,” “Carol of The Bells” and “Little Drummer Boy/Pat-A-Pan.”
Next is “Garland No. 4 Medley” with “O Come Immanuel,” “We Three Kings,” “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Christmas Tree,” “The First Noel,” “I Wonder As I Wander,” “I Saw Three Ships,” “Away In A Manger,” and “Lutebook Lullaby.”
“Hanukkah Song Medley” with “Who Can Retell,” “Rock of Ages,” “I Have A Menorah” and “Hanakkah” leads into “The 12 Days of Christmas,” “French Carol,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here.”
The “Holiday Rhythms” section includes “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” and “Holly and The Ivy,” while the “Swing Into the Season” segment features “Let It Snow,” “Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer” and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.”
The finale section is the “Christmas Crackers Suite” with “Jingle Bells,” “Deck The Hall,” “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Manger Song,” “Good King Wenceslas” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”
Needless to say, you’re going to hear all of your favorite holiday songs during this show.
The Brandywine Valley Symphony’s 2025-2026 season is a debut season in name only — because of the orchestra’s new name.
A few months ago, the orchestra performed its final concert as the Kennett Symphony with an outdoor show at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.
This weekend’s concert will be the third performance of the orchestra’s 85th season.
Kennett Symphony, which began in 1940 as a small volunteer community orchestra in Kennett Square, has evolved a lot over the last eight decades and had two other monikers – Kennett Symphony Orchestra and Kennett Symphony of Chester County.
The ensemble has steadily grown by using professional musicians and talented conductors.
Hall is in his 12th season with the Brandywine Valley Symphony and ninth with the Prince George Symphony — and also serves as Principal Guest Conductor of Florida’s Space Coast Symphony.
Known for his dynamic performances and inventive programming, he is committed to making concerts more accessible to new audiences.
Previously, Hall held the position of Music Director of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Pacific Symphony in California, Resident Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of the Havant Symphony Orchestra in the U.K.
He studied with Gustav Meier at the University of Michigan and Sir Colin Davis at the Royal Academy of Music. Hall was a finalist in the Besançon Competition and won Third Prize at Cadaqués.
He is now a resident of East Fallowfield with his wife Jennifer French, who is a horn player with the Lancaster Symphony.
Referring to this Saturday’s BVS concert, Hall said, “It’s a perfect one-hour opportunity to listen to well-known carols.”
The 2026 portion of the 2025/2026 season includes the Family Concert with the BVS Woodwind Quintet on February 28 at the Kennett Square Library, “Masterworks 2: Songs Without Borders” on March 22 at the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester, the Mother’s Day Concert with the BVS String Quartet on May 9 in the Copeland Lecture Hall at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and “Masterworks 3: Made in America” on June 25 in the Open Air Theatre at Longwood Gardens.
Video link for Brandywine Valley Symphony — https://youtu.be/7Jbrh567kFI.
Tickets for the December 6 concert are $30 for adults and $10 for children.
A great way to get into the holiday spirit is to visit the Candlelight Dinner Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org).
The Candlelight’s 2025 holiday show, “Christmas by Candlelight,” is running now through December 21.
For a month-and-a-half, the Candlelight is treating audiences to its heartwarming celebration of the yuletide season, which is back by popular demand this year.
This year’s show features favorite seasonal and sacred tunes, as well as some new surprises, brought to life by some of the theater’s most popular cast and staff.
Candlelight’s fans’ favorites in the cast are Jared Calhoun, Maurene Cotellese, Tina Gabriella Delano, Erin Lunde, Tim Moudy, Cody Palmer, Samatha Ricchiuti, Tess Sinatra, Shawn Weaver, Shaun Yates, Tori Healy, Heather Healy, Dan Healy and Anthony Connell, a longtime actor who also has been Props Master for shows this year.
The production team features Julia Kershetsky (Music Director), Jody Anderson (Choreographer), Anthony Connell (Properties & Set Dressing), Jeff Reim (Set Designer), Matthew J. Kator (Lighting Designer), Dennis Mahoney (Sound), Timothy Lamont Cannon (Costumes), Clayton Stacey (Wigs/Hair/Makeup), and Michelle Mattera (Production Stage Manager).
The songs range from a capella versions of famous songs to comedic numbers, upbeat holiday tunes and classic Christmas songs you may hear sung at church services.”
Some of the showcase songs in Act One are “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “It’s Beginning To look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and two rockers – “Santa Baby” and “Run Run Rudolph.”
Act Two highlights include “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Joy To The World,” “The Christmas Song,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and, of course, “White Christmas.”
Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $77.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12). “Show Only” tickets, which have limited availability, cost $35.
Pure Prairie League has been around for a long time – for more than a half-century.
The band, known for its distinctive blend of country rock and Southern rock released five studio albums from 1972-1975 and then just four more between then and 2024.
The band is still touring after all these years and surprisingly is currently touring in support of a new studio album – “Back on Track,” which was released December 6, 2024.
On December 6, PPL’s current tour will bring the band to the area for a show at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com).
“Back on Track,” which was released on Pure Prairie League Records, takes the classic PPL sound and gives it a fresh spin. Throughout a dozen cuts, a rejuvenated band pays homage to its signature sound while still injecting fresh sonic air. “Back on Track” is simultaneously classic and contemporary.
Produced by veteran PPL bassist and bandleader Michael Reilly, “Back on Track” was recorded at Riverfront
Recorders in Madison, Tennessee with additional recording at Twilight Zona Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Initially, “Back on Track” began in early 2023 as an idea for an EP to showcase the three newest members of PPL.
“The new guys in the band – Jared and Jeff (Jared Camac, bass and vocals, and Jeff Zona, guitar, vocals) who joined five years ago – were writing new songs,” said Reilly, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Sag Harbor, New York.
“I said – what do you think about doing an EP? I put on my producer’s hat, and we went in the studio on-and-off from July 2023 to July 2024.
“I’m thrilled with the record. It sounds like Pure Prairie League. We recorded 15 tracks in Nashville and came out with 12 for the record.
“I like to rehearse songs before we go in the studio. So, before recording them, we played a lot of the songs onstage. We like to see how the fans react.”
Pure Prairie League is an American country rock band which featured in its original lineup singer and guitarist Craig Fuller, drummer Tom McGrail and steel guitarist John David Call, all from Waverly, Ohio.
Fuller started the band in 1970 and McGrail named it after a fictional 19th century temperance union featured in the 1939 Errol Flynn cowboy film Dodge City.
In 1975 the band scored its biggest hit with the single “Amie,” a track that originally appeared on their 1972 album “Bustin’ Out.” Pure Prairie League scored five consecutive Top 40 LPs in the 1970s and added a sixth in the 1980s. They disbanded in 1988 but regrouped in 1998 and continued to perform.
The line-up has been fluid over the years with no one member having served over the band’s entire history.
The band’s most recent line-up consists of drummer Scott Thompson, bassist Jared Camic, keyboard master Randy Harper, guitarist/vocalist Jeff Zona and pedal steel/saxophonist John Heinrich.
Reilly joined the band in September 1972 as bassist and frontman and then was sidelined in 2006 after he was forced to undergo a liver transplant.
In May 200,7 Reilly appeared at a few shows and played guitar yet was unable to come back full-time until 2008.
In 2021, Reilly retired from the road due to health issues. He did return briefly in February 2022 as a special guest on the Rock Legends Cruise.
“I retired from touring,” said Reilly. “Now, I’m managing the band, producing records and doing all the day-to-day details with the band. I had enough – 55 years was plenty.
“I do still play now and then. I played last week in Nashville at the Opry. I play about six times a year with cruises, Opry and hometown gigs.
“Up until last year, there was one original member left. John Call was the last man standing and he left at the end of last year. He is suffering from Dupuytren’s contracture.
“It’s not surprising that there are no originals left. You don’t find many bands that have been around 50-55 years with many original members left. Many have died or gone in nursing homes.”
With Pure Prairie League, sometimes old is new.
Their self-titled first album used a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover showing a trail-worn cowboy named Sad Luke – a character who would appear on the cover of every Pure Prairie League recording thereafter.
“I called my old friend Bill Brown, who had done the illustrations for our last project in 2005, ‘All in Good Time,’” said Reilly.
“Once again, Bill captured the spirit of our old cowpoke/mascot ‘Sad Luke,’ while contemporizing the feel to reflect the band’s history, as well as the old-is-new approach to the music. The concept, the colors, the feel and the mood were everything we wanted.”
With the music and the album cover, PPL 2025 could easily be taken for PPL 1985. It will all be on display at the
World Café Live this weekend.
Video link for Pure Prairie League – https://youtu.be/A53JybIQj6U.
The show at the World Café Live on December 6 will start at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $39.
Other upcoming shows at the venue are Spencer Sutherland on December 4, Carbon Leaf on December 5, Modern Alibi on December 7 and John Gorka on December 10.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is hosting Sonia Disappear Fear on December 5, Better Than Bacon on December 6 and Goodnight Moonshine featuring Molly Venter of Red Molly.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) is presenting “Holiday Cheer Concert” on December 5, Elementrio on December 9 and West Chester Jazz Orchestra on December 10.
On December , Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will present Philadelphia Blues Society Night featuring Slim and the South Street Hustle with Roger Girke on
December 4, The Donuts and Wonderhouse on December 5, and The Kennedys on December 6.
On December 7, the “Sunday Blues Brunch & Jam” will present the Philly Blues Kings featuring Clarence Spady. The free event will run from noon-3 p.m.
The Lansdowne Theater (31 North Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, thelansdownetheater.com) will host the Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour on December 6.
Koz will be joined onstage by Jonathan Butler, Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams, and Kayla Waters.
The Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com/events) will host “Jessica Lynn’s – A Very Merry Classic Christmas” on December 5, the “The Phoenixville Christmas Spectacular” on December 6 and 7 and Tab Benoit on December 10.
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com) will present “Hell’s Belles: Tribute to AC/DC” on December 4, Lilly Hiatt and Jenny Owen Youngs on December 5, and Bell Bottom Blues: Eric Clapton Live Experience on December 6.
