In the Spirit of Giving, NDNU Presents 'A Christmas Carol'

[Editor's note: The following was submitted by NDNU.]

The Bay Areas’ longest running stage production of A Christmas Carol will soon return to the stage of the Notre Dame de Namur University Theatre. 

Nine performances will be given between Friday, December 6, and Sunday, December 15. 

“The Gift”—as this annual production is affectionately known—is a professional-caliber musical theatre performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Tickets for all but one of the performances are provided free of charge. Theatergoers are encouraged to participate in The Gift by bringing new toys and non- perishable food items to each performance. All items collected will be distributed to the less fortunate of our community.

The production is staged through the efforts of a team of professional stage and music directors, choreographers, scenic light and sound technicians, and costume designers. The cast is comprised of over eighty performers, many with decades of professional stage performance experience. To help audiences get into the holiday spirit, elaborate Christmas decorations are placed outside the theatre and in the lobby. In addition, carolers fill the lobby with songs of good cheer.

Since its first presentation in 1985, over 100,000 people, from all over the world, have seen this spectacular musical performance presented by the Notre Dame de Namur University Department of Theatre and Dance and the Performing Arts Company. Audiences have contributed an average of 1,500 toys and three tons of non-perishable food per year. Over 28 years, The Gift has facilitated the donation of more than 40 tons of food and 25,000 toys; all of which were distributed locally by a variety of social service organizations.

The Gift has received commendations and proclamations from California governors, members of the United States Congress, the California Assembly and Senate, other state and local government agencies, and local arts and social service organizations. For more information about the Gift, please visit www.ChristmasCarolTheGift.org.

The NDNU Theatre is located at 1500 Ralston Avenue.