Hole for the holidays

This month, you might find a holiday show that has fake snow, Santa and maybe a few elves, but the one playing at Riverwalk Theatre certainly has something that makes it stick out from the crowd: goblins.

“That would be the Grump Sisters,” said director Jane Zussman. “But they’re not scary evil — they’re more funny evil.”

In Riverwalk’s “The No Hole Holiday,” there will be a few twists on holiday classics, and that includes these two characters that are often associated with Halloween. Zussman says the show will be anything but ordinary.  

“It’s not a fairy tale script,” Zussman said. “Everyone knows ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk,’ but ‘The No Hole Holiday’ — what the heck is that?“

It’s the story of Axel the Elf, who is promoted to Santa’s chief buyer of holes. After some disappointment in his new role, he is introduced to the Grump Sisters and a magical hole-making machine, which Zussman described as a character itself. What follows includes sabotage, songs (including one about the importance of holes) and audience participation.

That’s right — three audience members in each show will be pulled on-stage and get to be a part of the action. 

“That’s one of those things you can’t really rehearse,” she said. 

“The No Hole Holiday”
Nov. 23-Dec. 2
Riverwalk Theatre
228 Museum Drive, Lansing
7 p.m. Fridays, 2 & 4:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays
$7 adults/$5 ch ildren
(517) 482-5700
riverwalktheatre.com