Alice in ChristmasLand: A Musical About a Place Where It’s Christmas 24/7 from the Play Nice Inter-generational Theatre Company, Benefits Local Charities

In a wacky winter Wonderland, lives an odd assortment of characters and due to a magic spell, for 12 years, day in and day out, every single day has been Christmas Day (and they’re tired of it!). A modern-day Alice meets the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter and Santa Claus with his elves, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee as the charity-focused and inter-generational theater company called Play Nice presents Alice in ChristmasLand: The Family Musical at The Times Square Arts Center, 300 West 43 Street on December 19, 20, 22, 28, 29, and 30.  Tickets are $10 and up, at www.PurplePass.com and the website www.PlayNicePeople.com where there’s also more information about the year-round Manhattan company doing family musicals with and for all ages, with original material sending positive messages (with lots of humor) and donating 100% of ticket income to local charities.

Karen Wyman

On Monday, December 18 at 7 PM, in the same venue, the new Play Nice play will be part of a Christmas party presentation of their shows old and new, combined with songs by cabaret singers Karen Wyman (who won the Bistro Award for her recent heralded comeback with shows at the Metropolitan Room and Iridium and appearances at the Cabaret Convention, Symphony Space’s Wall-to-Wall series, etc.) and vocalists on the Miranda Music label celebrating their A New York Holiday CD.  Included are the award-winning performers Marcus Simeone, Joshua Lance Dixon and Tracy Stark, who also serves as musical director for the night.

The Play Nice people in the Alice cast range in age from 6 to a mom with grown children: Andres Gallardo Bastillo, sisters Mary-Lynn and Tori Israel, Alex Bello, Ruby Quarles, Stefania Verbitsky, Sofia Lopez, Emma Blue, Jesus Delacruz, Mira Ardon, Mackenzie Maxwell, Amina Ben Smail, Kea Chan, Natalie Hunter, Debra McNulty, Chloe Perez, Paula Perseke, and Joseph Tolve. Script, lyrics, (sometimes music), and direction by company founder Rob Lester. Play Nice depends on contributors and its all-volunteer acting company and guest artists so it can donate 100% of its ticket sales to charities and non-profits in the arts; past recipients have included HelpUsAdopt.org, the Amas theatre company’s workshops for teens, Juvenile Diabetes Association, and Actors Theatre Workshop programs for at-risk youth and families in NYC shelter system. Chosen charities have reflected themes in the shows, such as adoption and families, the meaning of home, cooperation (play nice!), and anti-bullying.