THE PEPPERMINT BEAR SHOW Plays Lakewood Theatre, 12/1-22

Lakewood Theatre Company will present an all-new version of their annual Holiday Magic Breakfast Theatre production with the presentation of The Peppermint Bear Show: Who Needs Sneeds?

Performances will be in Lakewood Center's Community Meeting Room at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM on Saturdays December 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2012. The theatre is located at Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego.

Tickets are $12.00 for students and adults. Advance reservations are required. Doors open 1/2 hour before curtain. For tickets call 503-635-3901 or or order online at http://www.lakewood-center.org.

The story: Santa's elves, with help from the Peppermint Bear, are rehearsing for their annual Christmas show when the evil Sneed brothers show up plotting to take Santa's Christmas gifts before his yearly sleigh ride on Christmas Eve.

The performers from area high schools include Kaitlin Baumgarten, Michelle Pitel, Solomon Chaiyahat, Voni Kengla, Wyatt Croxton, Matthew Rowning, Dane Shroy, Kyle Fulton, Sierra Kruse, Madison Thompson, Mary Head, Hadley Rentz, Selah Crisp and Culla Galaher.

The book and lyrics are by Michael Snider with music by Dana Libonati. Snider will also direct and choreograph the Lakewood production. Light design is by Kurt Herman and the producer is Kay Vega.

The Peppermint Bear Show first premiered as The Cinnamon Bear Show at Portland's Lipman's Department store which then became Frederick and Nelson. It became a popular Holiday tradition for over 25 years in numerous cities such as Chicago, New York and Maui and now returns to Portland after a 35-year absence.

The Holiday Magic Breakfast Theatre production has been an annual Lakewood Theatre tradition for 20 years. Audience members enjoy a special holiday continental breakfast 1/2 hour before the show and performers interact with young audience members to help them celebrate the holidays. A photo opportunity is provided after the performance with a special visitor in a red suit! The performance is suitable for ages 3-12.

60 Years of Live Theatre: Founded as a not-for-profit organization in 1952, Lakewood Theatre Company is a professional theatre dedicated to the study and presentation of drama in all its forms; the training and development of actors; and the creation, maintenance and operation of a theatre in which to present plays and other forms of entertainment. Lakewood Theatre Company is the oldest continually operated, not-for-profit theatre company in the Portland Metropolitan area. It annually provides more than 400 theatre artists the opportunity to learn and display their craft and attracts more than 40,000 people to its shows.

Photo by Lakewood Theatre Company.