The annual Christmas show, supported by Queenstown’s council, will be performed at the Queenstown Events Centre at 1pm and 5pm and organisers are hoping the audience, and wider community, will embrace this year’s message literally.
Written by Queenstown performer Margaret O’Hanlon, Not a Creature Was Stirring (Not Even a Mouse) centres around Murray the Mouse (Arka Huck), who’s troubled because Santa never brings gifts for mice.
So Muffin, the family cat (Kane Viggers) and Molly the dog (Bethany Graf) encourage Murray to visit Santa at the North Pole — along the way a host of characters help him navigate, and realise the meaning of Christmas isn’t about what you receive, but what you give.
Again this year, people have the option of purchasing a ticket to be given to a family in need — spokeswoman Janey Rae says so far about 100 such tickets have been donated.
Also, this year the show’s organisers are hoping ticket-holders will drop off new, unwrapped gifts for kids aged between birth and 18 on Sunday, which will go to families in need in the Whakatipu.
This year’s show features about 60 locals — the majority of them youngsters — performing a mix of popular songs and carols, along with performances by Queenstown Gymnastics Club, Silk & Circus, Wakatipu Conservatoire of Classical Ballet, Dance Evolution Studio and the Remarkable Men’s Ballet.
Head "mincer" Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson’s keeping mum about the theme of this year’s performance, though confirms there’s "general disappointment that we won’t be in our beloved tutus for the show".
"There’s been the odd tear shed, expletives, but we’ve managed to get through that, I think, and we just look forward to presenting what we present on Sunday ... miaow."
However, he confirms people near the Athol St-Ballarat St intersection about 6pm tomorrow may also get a sneak peek of Sunday’s performance, weather-dependent.
Tickets for Sundays’ shows cost $5 for kids aged 5-16 and $10 for 16 and over — under-5s are free — via Humanitix.
