With a seasonal chill in the air, sounds of Christmas emanating from Thomasville’s Municipal Auditorium means preparations are under way for a long-standing south Georgia holiday tradition, the Thomasville Music & Drama Troupe’s 2019 Christmas Show. 

A cast of young performers is spending nights this week rehearsing, and curtain time is 8 p.m. Saturday, when the group of teenaged singers and dancers will be ready to wow its audience.

Featured song selections range from the classical “O Magnum Mysterium” to Alabama’s “Christmas in Dixie,” from a poignant segment on the Christmas Truce of 1914 to holiday-themed numbers from Broadway musicals, even a medley of African carols.

“This is a family show, with something for everybody — familiar Christmas carols, classical sacred pieces, high energy dancers — and we invite the community to come out and be truly entertained as we help usher in the holiday season,” said Troupe President Lisa Rudolph Watson. “Troupe shows traditionally feature the best of south Georgia’s young people, and this year’s Christmas show is no exception.”

Watson said the group reaches across the region and seeks a diverse membership.

“Troupe kids come from across southwest Georgia — from Thomas, Grady, Colquitt and Mitchell counties currently — and they represent public and private schools, and the home-school community,” she said. “They put aside their school rivalries and work together with a common goal of a great show.”

Troupe Director Stephanie Hart helms the Christmas Show, assisted by a talented staff of performance professionals and a dedicated team of volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Pianist Tom Whiddon heads up an ensemble of live musicians, Raina Miranda is Troupe’s choreographer and Jaci Niks serves as assistant to the director.

The holiday production is one of two shows the group of young entertainers presents annually, the other held each May since 1974. 

The Thomasville Music & Drama Troupe traces its history back to 1972 when Georgia natives Fred and Winnie Allen relocated to Thomasville after a successful decade-long career in New York’s stage and recording industry. The couple founded a group of student performers to share their experiences, as well as Fred Allen’s education and training at the country’s finest music and theatre programs. Since that time, Troupe has touched several thousand young people, performed for audiences from 50 to 50,000 and launched a number of performing artists’ careers.

Both reserved and general admission tickets are available online at www.thomasvillemusicanddramatroupe.com, and a limited number of tickets may be available at the door.  

For more information or to order tickets by phone, contact Laura Miles at (229) 225-8439.