Napa Valley College Performing Arts Presents Variety of Performances to Kick Off the Holiday Season
Napa Valley College (NVC) Performing Arts will celebrate the winter holidays with family-friendly performances and college chorale and jazz ensemble concerts.
Opening in repertory on December 4, 2021, are “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Elf the Musical Jr.” First presented at Napa Valley College in 2019, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will once again be directed by NVC Theater program alumna Jessica Romero and will feature students and community members in a stage rendition with music from the classic holiday television program.
“Elf the Musical Jr,” a co-production with Cafeteria Kids Theater (CKT) and co-directed by Olivia Cowell and Aimee Guillot, brings the film “Elf” to life on stage with a multi-generational cast of children and NVC students.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be performed on Saturday, December 4 at 1 p.m., Sunday, December 5 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Saturday, December 11 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, December 12 at 11 a.m. “Elf the Musical Jr.” will be presented on Saturday, December 4 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Sunday, December 5 at 1 p.m., Saturday, December 11 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sunday, December 12 at 1 p.m.
Both “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Elf the Musical Jr.” will be performed outdoors in the new Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center courtyard theater, adjacent to the Performing Arts Center lobby.
Audiences will return indoors for two holiday-inspired music events, both performed in Performing Arts Center main theater.
The Napa Valley College Chorale will present a live, in-person concert celebrating winter holidays on Sunday, December 12 at 3 p.m. Inspired by the journey from isolation to celebration, this concert will turn the focus to the future and will feature guest artists Abigail Summers, cello (NVC cello instructor), and Justin Respicio, percussion (NVC student). Dr. Howell will conduct repertoire ranging from Sarah Quartel’s haunting “Snow Angel” with narration by Jennifer King to the Carpenter’s “Christmas Medley.”
After a lengthy hiatus, the Napa Valley Jazz Ensemble will return to live performance on Monday, December 20 at 7 p.m. Led by local trumpet player Peter Estabrook, students and community members will perform together in classics like Ellington’s “Mood Indigo,” American Standards like Kern’s “Smoke Gets in your Eyes,” and new works like “Jive Samba” by Adderley.
PERFORMANCE DATES
• A Charlie Brown Christmas: December 4,5, 2021 & December 11,12, 2021
• Elf the Musical Jr.: December 4,5, 2021 & December 11,12, 2021 *SOLD OUT*
• Napa Valley College Chorale: December 12, 2021
• Napa Valley Jazz Ensemble: December 20, 2021
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit performingartsnapavalley.org.
About Napa Valley College Performing Arts
Napa Valley College Performing Arts creates high quality-instructional theater and music experiences on stage and in the classroom. Serving all segments of the community including transfer students, lifelong learners and college staff, students are offered the opportunity to learn from professional artists in a way that inspires a passion for the artistic process. Napa Valley College is committed to student success by creating nurturing and inclusive environments that promote self-discipline, positive self-esteem, critical thinking skills and teamwork. For more information, visit performingartsnapavalley.org.
About Cafeteria Kids Theater
Cafeteria Kids Theater (CKT) is a unique performing arts program that uses theater as a vehicle to bridge different ethnicities, backgrounds and perspectives. Through full-scale musical productions, in-school residencies, after-school classes, acting workshops and summer camps, CKT has impacted more than 6,000 students in Napa Valley since its inception in 2006. CTK encourages children to investigate the commonalities that exist in all people as they journey through the creative process which, in turn, builds inner confidence, imagination and empathy. Cafeteria Kids Theater’s goal is to give children of all ages the tools they need to discover the artist within them and live in the world from a place of creativity, compassion and love. cafeteriakidstheater.org/.
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