Here’s something you and your family won’t want to miss this Christmas & Chanukah season! Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is bringing children and their families the magic of the holiday season with the latest iteration of Deck the Halls. In this interactive children’s show full of favorite carols, festive sketches, and family fun we will celebrate everything that makes the holidays in Sarasota special! Since Deck the Halls was first produced in 2016, the show has become a holiday tradition for many families on the Suncoast. This year, the festivities return with all-new sketches, all-new songs, and all-new memories ready for the making. Created by Caroline Saldivar and Sarah Durham with additional material by Dellan Short and Jeremy Weinstein, Deck the Halls plays select Saturdays and Sundays starting November 25 in FST’s Keating Theatre.
“I absolutely adore the fact that Deck the Halls has become a cherished holiday tradition for families,” said Caroline Saldivar, who is also FST’s Director of Children’s Theatre. “There’s something truly heartwarming knowing that this show plays a part in people’s festive celebrations. Deck the Halls is all about keeping the holiday spirit alive and making it memorable for everyone who joins us.”
Inspired by happenings in the community and trends in popular culture, this year’s edition of Deck the Halls will lovingly spoof everything from over-the-top commercials and Taylor Swift-mania to snowbirds and the rise of TikTok—all shared through a family-friendly lens. Audiences can also expect entertaining parodies of classic holiday songs—such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells”—as well as original comedy sketches featuring five of Santa’s favorite elves and Mrs. Claus herself.
Cast in this show are Lorelei Frank, Olivia Green, Deonta Mitchell, Mitchell Nalos, Lauren Phillips, James Randolph, and Dellan Short—all members of FST’s Professional Training Program.
Deck the Halls is part of a four-show subscription package. Also included in the Children’s Theatre Series subscription package is The Velveteen Rabbit: A Toy Story, a brand-new adaptation of Margery Williams’ classic story, Red Riding Hood, a furiously fast retelling of the popular fairy tale, and The Power of Peanut Butter & Other Winning Plays, a collection of award-winning plays written by elementary school students from around the world. Subscriptions for all four Children’s Theatre shows are now on sale for only $20—just $5 per person per show. Single tickets are also available for $10 per ticket. Subscriptions and tickets are now on sale at 941.366.9000 or FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
IF YOU GO
DECK THE HALLS PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE*
Saturday, November 25 at 10AM and 12PM
Sunday, November 26 at 10AM and 12PM
Saturday, December 2 at 10AM and 12PM
Sunday, December 3 at 10AM and 12PM
Sunday, December 10 at 10AM
Saturday, December 16 at 10AM
Saturday, December 24 at 10AM
*Additional performance dates may be added later in the season
ABOUT FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE
Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is Sarasota’s contemporary theatre. Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five theatres located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact— providing intimate and engaging settings for high-quality, professional performances.
Today, FST has established itself as a major force in American Theatre. FST is the largest subscription theatre in the state of Florida and among the largest in the country, serving more than 225,000 live attendees each year across its diverse programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, Improv, The FST School, and New Play Development.
Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. Hip and historical, entertaining and challenging, we are where everyone is welcome to engage in the art of theatre.
~ Andrea Mastrocinque-Martone
