OCEAN CITY — This season the Greater Ocean City Theatre Company invites the public to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year at “Swingin’ into the Holidays,” Ocean City’s holiday spectacular.
Artistic Director Michael Hartman said the OCTC is thrilled to bring the show back to the Music Pier after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hartman said a cast of professional singers and dancers will present a high-energy, family–oriented song and dance tribute to the holidays, directed and choreographed by him and Elizabeth Worley.
He said it has a cast of two featured vocalists, a man and a woman, and six ensemble dancers.
“It starts with jive, swing era of music and then goes into different musical styles, disco, traditional Christmas with Santa flying in and a rock ’n’ roll, Jersey Boys-style ending,” Hartman said. “It’s celebrating different eras of music with a holiday theme.”
Hartman said the cast arrived Nov. 27 to start rehearsals.
“This is a long-standing tradition we have had for the holiday season that has become a fan favorite,” Hartman said. “The goal was that it would become that family tradition like when they go look at Christmas lights, to Radio City Music Hall, to make the Music Pier a destination for the holidays year after year.”
Hartman said when they began the show a dozen years ago they were performing in front of a crowd numbering in the teens. Now he urges people to buy tickets in advance so the line at the box office is not so long that it delays the show.
“It’s neat to see how it has developed into that and despite the pandemic halting it for a holiday season, it’s back and people are eager to resume the tradition.”
In addition to the four public performances, the OCTC annually offers a private audience to 500 students from the region followed by a question-and-answer session with the performers.
Hartman said he sees it as a “great way to inspire a new generation of students to pursue the performing arts.”
Catch this family musical revue at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 2 p.m. Dec. 12, at the Ocean City Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace and the boardwalk.
Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for children under 12. For tickets, call (609) 399-6111, visit oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or stop in the Welcome Center on the Route 52 causeway or City Hall.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
