By 1812Blockhouse
Have you ever wondered just where Santa Claus came from?
L. Frank Baum knew. The same man who created The Wonderful Wizard of Oz lets us in on his secret: the story of Saint Nicholas as told to him by Necile, the nymph who found Claus and raised him as her own in the world of Knooks, Faeries, Ryls and, yes, even the dreaded Awgwas.
Now you can know as well, as The Mansfied Playhouse presents “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” beginning this weekend.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a 1902 children’s book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark.
The current production’s cast includes Tony Viscioni as Frank Baum; Rebekah Stefaniuk as Necile; Graham Leonard as Ak; Amy Parker as the Queen; and Sam Hergatt as King Will.
In the performance, Claus decides he must leave the world of the Immortals and live among the humans, making toys to make children happy. He gets help from Jack Frost, who shows him the Frost Gale, allowing Claus and his sleigh to fly, and from two runaway Knooks, Lem and Barlo, who want to hear children laugh.
This delightful tale answers once and for all how Santa Claus made the first toy, why he climbs down chimneys and, most of all, how he learned to laugh that great “Ho, ho, ho.”
Show dates are December 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 7:00 PM and December 18 at 2:30 PM. The Mansfield Playhouse is located at 95 East Third Street in downtown Mansfield.
