This Christmas, some Broadway artists came together virtually to create “The Nice List” An original 45-minute holiday family musical with 6 original songs (including “Always a Holiday” and “They’re All Naughty”). Harnessing the benefits of the Zoom Era, The Nice List is a holiday musical for the whole family. It’s a timeless and timely story featuring a contemporary score, an irreverent sense of humor and lots and lots of toys.
In July, Phoebe Kreutz (book and lyrics) received the news that a staged production of her new holiday show was now impossible due to social distancing concerns. But Phoebe was determined to make this Christmas a jolly one, no matter what. So she reached out to director Alan Muraoka (Sesame Street) and composer Gary Adler (Altar Boyz) with a new idea. Together, they teamed up with some of their favorite Broadway talents to bring to life a brand-new, one-act musical with the heart and warmth of a classic holiday theatrical event- all created from a safe distance!
The diverse, star-studded cast tells a heartwarming tale of empathy, understanding and inclusion. So while the show may be full of elves and reindeer, candy canes and Christmas magic, the message is an important one for both kids and grownups.
Synopsis of The Nice List: Holiday Musical Featuring Broadway Artists
Teleconferencing and… Christmas? It sounds like a weird combination. But this year, Santa’s Head Elf Chestnut (Telly Leung, Aladdin) has convinced the whole North Pole to adopt this modern technology and go virtual. That means all the planning, the toys, the mayhem- it’s all happening online. And we get to watch!
At the beginning of the Christmas Season, all the elves are all feeling confident in their roles- including our mismatched protagonists: upbeat Crumpet (Julia Mattison, Godspell) and grumpy Raisin (Ann Harada, Avenue Q).
But when Santa (James Monroe Iglehart, Tony Award winner for Genie in Aladdin) announces that he’ll be supervising the season remotely this year, Raisin and Crumpet must take on the biggest responsibility of all: the famous “Naughty and Nice List”.
As the seasonal pressure mounts, Chestnut’s innovative plans start to fall apart. Workshop elves Cookie (Jennifer Barnhart, Avenue Q), Fruitcake (Nick Kohn, Avenue Q) and Gumdrop (Don Darryl Rivera, Aladdin) are running dangerously low on Christmas spirit. Even worse, overworked Crumpet takes a turn for the militant and starts putting
kids on the Naughty List for minor infractions. Pretty soon, it looks like no one will be getting any presents at all. Can Raisin convince everyone that no one is all naughty or all nice?
Luckily, Santa appears just in time to spread some holiday cheer and remind us all that Christmas is about bringing people together- no matter who or where we are.
See more on NiceListMusical.com
