Riverwalk rings in the season

A legendary carol gets a rewrite in  Riverwalk Theatre’s “The Five Golden Rings,” which bows on the main stage Saturday.

Set at a 1950s radio station, the original play by AnnKettering Sincox is a whimsical illustration of the complicated carol,with the cast providing the accompanying sound effects and music thathelp recreate the broadcasts of the era.

The twist: The entire song is told as a spoof of film-noir whodunits like “The Maltese Falcon.” 

 “It’s veryclever and very chaotic (and) we wanted it to be very fast-paced inkeeping with the flow of the song,” said Mara McGill, who is making herco-directorial debut alongside 10-year Riverwalk holiday show veteranEve Davidson.

Private detective Pete Partridge (Bob Murrell) isenlisted by a couple known as the Turtledoves to find the missingtitular treasures.

Along the way, the audience encounters all the familiarfaces from the song from the “Six Geese-a-Laying” — re-imagined here asthe bricklaying Geese Brothers — and a group of plumbers a la the“pipers piping.”

‘The Five Golden Rings: A Christmas Radio Show Whodunit’

Riverwalk Theatre

228 Museum Drive, Lansing

8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10; 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11

$15 adults; $7 children under 16

(517) 482-5700

www.riverwalktheatre.com