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“Miracle on 34th Street” at Towngate

Kris Kringle Takes on Cynics in Beloved Holiday Classic

A treasured holiday classic comes to life onstage at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre. “Miracle on 34th Street” will be staged for two weekends–November 30, December 1, 2 and December 7 and 8.

Talented local actors tell the story of how Kris Kringle enchants children and adults, takes on cynics and unleashes waves of goodwill.

In this beloved story, a white-bearded gentleman working as a Macy’s holiday Santa claims to be the REAL Santa Claus. Because he enchants children and shoppers so completely, he is deemed dangerous by fellow employees. They question his competency and plot to ruin him. A small girl’s belief in Santa and the magic of the holiday is at stake in a climactic courtroom decision.

The entire family can enjoy this funny, tender and charming show.

John Reilly directs the show. Cast members include: Briele Dobson, Alex Fabrizio, Pete Fernbaugh, Robert Gaudio, Reagan Hughes, Elizabeth Jeffers, Patricia Jeffers, Karen Kahle, Karissa Martin, Wayne McCord, Maria McKelvey, Colin Roose, Clare Seibert, Kristin Seibert, Jim Showalter, Justin Swoyer and Frank Wilson.

Thank You Volunteers and Sponsors

The production is a true community effort– volunteer actors share their time and talents and area businesses provide financial and in-kind support. Unified Bank serves as corporate sponsor for Towngate’s entire 50th season. Macy’s awarded a grant to Towngate for productions of “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Nutcracker,” which will be staged at Towngate December 22 and 23.

Oglebay Institute development director Micah Underwood said Macy’s has also partnered with Towngate to provide unique experiences for theatergoers.

Kids Can Write & Send Letters to Santa at Towngate

“Macy’s employees assisted with decorating the Towngate Theatre lobby for the holidays and provided a mailbox and postcards for children to write to Santa. Macy’s classic logo will appear on the set in the toy workshop opening and party scenes of ‘The Nutcracker.’ The store has also donated a fragrance basket for raffle during the run of ‘Miracle on 34th Street,’” she said.

View Prints of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons

In addition, patrons can view an exhibit, courtesy of Macy’s, that features prints of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons. It will be on display in The Gallery at Towngate through December.

L-R: Macy’s employees Anessa Wilson, Bobbi Dove and Jennifer Prietsch, VP-Store Manager, Macy’s Ohio Valley #641.

“Partnerships with local businesses help the theatre connect in deeper ways with our community. We’re bringing in new audiences and, at the same time, sharing the work of local businesses with our existing patrons. It creates a strong and rich local economic fabric and it’s really a win for everyone involved.”

Get Tickets and See the Show

Evening performances of “Miracle on 34th Street” take place at 7 p.m. November 30, December 1, 7 & 8. A matinee performance takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday, December 2.

You can purchase tickets online in advance, by calling 304-242-7700 or at the door, if available. Don’t delay. Some shows will sell out.

Experience the Magic of Art Onstage

Towngate is the premiere venue for community theater in Wheeling. Enjoy an intimate theater experience. Marvel at and applaud the talent of local actors. Experience a variety of though-provoking, heartwarming, comedic and historically significant works from renowned playwrights and talented newcomers. When watching a stage production, you are transported into a different world. Escape from reality and feel the energy created by sharing an intimate space with actors and fellow theatergoers. Live action happens right before your eyes. There’s no app for that!

Furthermore, theater is a social experience meant to be shared with one another. So, bring your family and friends and meet new friends, too. And, most importantly, support your local actors, directors, stage managers, set and costume designers. They spend months working to bring characters and stories to life. Their efforts produce amazing art time and time again.

About Towngate

Located in Wheeling’s historic Centre Market District, Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage.

In addition to seeing community theater at Towngate, you can also attend poetry and spoken word performances. Bring the kiddos to children’s theater productions. Attend the ballet. See improvisational comedy, too. Area musicians perform on the Towngate stage. Towngate is also home to the Wheeling Film Society and art house cinema. Towngate is an art gallery, too, with changing art exhibits on display.

 

What’s New at the Schrader Center?

With the changing of the seasons and the arrival of cooler weather, Oglebay Institute’s Schrader Environmental Education Center also changes its colors and adapts to the coming winter season. While some of the outdoor activities give way to indoor learning, the Schrader Center continues to offer new activities and programming, both inside and out, for visitors.

Take a Winter Hike

Of course, the trails remain open year-round. And while a winter hike may not sound as appealing as a summer stroll, winter offers a stark contrast in the forest. The weeds die back and the ticks retreat. The ground seems to change shape and naked branches make it easier to spot a woodpecker or raptor. A snowy hike offers an alien perspective; snow hushes the world and even the trees seem to hold their breath.

Indoor Activities & Quiet Time

If hiking seems a little too “out there,” the Schrader Center will be open daily and is free to the public. In addition to the Samara Shop, where visitors can find local crafts, edibles, and books, you’ll find a variety of things to entertain yourself in a cozy setting. Caregivers can no doubt appreciate that the Schrader Center is also a great place to bring children on long, chilly days or rainy weekends for indoor free-play.

In the exhibition room, the Schrader Center offers several new interactive stations, including a cloud exhibit; a what-is-your-wingspan exhibit where kids can measure the length of their arms and compare them raptors’ wings; an expanded puppet area; and upgraded animal habitats for friends like Betsey the toad, Frank the Midland Painted Turtle, and Taylor the Corn Snake, among others. All amphibians and reptiles that live at Schrader have a name and an information card so visitors can get to know them.

Kids Love the “Hissing” Cockroaches

New to the Schrader critter family is an “intrusion” of Madagascar hissing cockroaches (much like a “gaggle” of geese or a “clowder” of cats). These unique insects hiss by blowing air through respiratory openings on their abdomens. Molly Check, director at the Schrader Center, finds that kids enjoy meeting the roaches, and the encounters are often a mix of equal parts fascination and revulsion.

The roaches do their job to help educate kids about their species. Their unique array of sounds and large size make them a favorite among visiting students.

Children’s Library is a Favorite Spot

For those who might prefer a little less stimulation or some secluded quiet time, the Schrader Center offers its children’s library, created through the support of the Brooks Bird Club. Tucked away from the activity and noise of the other exhibits, the library keeps books for kids that they can read in-house at kid-sized tables and chairs or check out and take home. The Brooks Bird Club also offers books for adults.

The Schrader staff try to keep the exhibits fresh. A fossil pit, a stream table, and more touch boxes are all in the works for the upcoming season, so visitors are encouraged to return as the fall and winter progress.

Puppet Stage and Play Area at Schrader

Classes & Events

For those visitors interested in more directed activities, the Schrader Center offers a full season of programming, beginning with a Brownie Badge Fest on Saturday, November 10. Two sessions, morning and afternoon, give scouts a chance to work on badges tailor made for a day at the Schrader Center. In the morning, scouts will work on Hiker, Bugs, and First Aid badges. In the afternoon, they’ll go for Outdoor Adventurer, Outdoor Art Creator, and Home Scientist badges.

On November 15, the annual Holiday Show and Sale comes to Oglebay Institute, with locations at both the Stifel Fine Arts Center and Schrader. Local artists will showcase hand-crafted goods. The show runs through the holiday season. On opening night, shoppers at Stifel will enjoy appetizers, while the Schrader Center will feature desserts by Whisk.

In December, bundle children up for a candy cane hunt in the woods. On December 8 and 15, families will craft a holiday bag and then take to the trails in search of hidden red-and-white treasure.  Hot cocoa follows.

For birders, December is a great time to get ready for the national Christmas bird count. On Saturday December 22, you can participate in the nation-wide birding activity at the Schrader Center, in your own backyard, and even from the comfort of your living room window. You can bird as long or as little as you like. At the end of the day, Schrader will collect and compile your data and add it in to the national count. It’s is a great way for scientists to understand the dynamics of North American bird populations.

Backyard Bird Count at the Schrader Center, Wheeling, WV

“It’s really important for citizen science,” said Check. “It’s the largest citizen science bird count that happens in the entire country. And people all over the country count during this week.” Contact the Schrader Center for more information.

Climbing the Walls?

For many caregivers, the week between Christmas and the return to school can be a long one. Thankfully, the Schrader staff will be offering a School’s Out Childcare day on December 28.

“They can come for a full day or a half a day,” said Molly Check. “We try to do it on some of those days when the kids are out of school. It’s just a nice childcare option.”

Parents of multiple children should note that Schrader offers a multi-child discount. Oglebay Institute members will pay $15 for the first child and $5 for additional kids. The theme that day will be “snow creatures.”

Check said, “For all of the School’s Out days, we try to give that outdoor time that they really crave. For December we’re going to be learn about all the wild animals that live around here. We’ll play games, go outside and build forts if there’s snow. And we always have a little campfire and do marshmallows and hot cocoa around the fire. It’s just a really fun day. Structured, but still a lot of time for the kids to just explore and get some free play.”

Winter can feel long and dark, but the Schrader Center offers a warm and friendly place to spend time as a family or on your own.

For more information on seasonal programming, visit www.oionline.com or call (304) 242-6855.