NEVC offers free Christmas performance

Times are trying for everyone -- it seems the economic crunch has even hit the North Pole, and Santa and his crew have taken drastic measures to fund Christmas. That's the premise behind "Santa's Holiday Hoedown," a Christmas musical to be presented at 6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 15, at the Northeast Vernon County High School, in Walker.

Jeannie Norwood, the school's music director, said it's a fun, special performance, carried out mostly by the elementary school students. The show will be preceded by Christmas songs performed by two high school students, and fifth and sixth grade band students will be highlighted as well. The band is new this year, Norwood said.

Sixth graders have the speaking and acting parts in the production.

"They do a fantastic job. They're very excited about it. Some of them never thought they could do something like this, but they're doing it really well." Norwood said.

The set is made of cardboard, Norwood said, "but it looks like real wood. It's impressive."

At the opening of the play, Santa has overspent his budget and decides to open a country music show to fund the big day. He connects with a promoter who misunderstands "elves" as "Elvis," so Santa's small helpers become Elvises. Each Elvis has a guitar prop, also fashioned from cardboard, and the Elvises perform unique songs as well.

The reindeer get into the act as well, with some fun of their own, claiming they're really horses, not reindeer, and Santa believes he looks a bit like Willie Nelson -- well, maybe he's no Willie Nelson, but then, Willie Nelson's no Santa, either, he reasons.

Norwood said the evening offers to be one of fun and surprises.

The event is free and open to the public.