Bristol Borough

Holiday Spirits Run Amuck at BRT Nov. 13 - Dec. 2

Outrageous playwright Christopher Durang turns the sickeningly sweet “holiday show” on its head

Bristol Riverside Theatre continues its twenty-first Mainstage season with Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, November 13-December 2, 2007. Commissioned by the City Theatre in Pittsburgh in 2002, the play is by satirist Christopher Durang, with song lyrics by Durang and music by Michael Friedman. The production will be directed by BRT Artistic Director Keith Baker.

Without ruining all the twists and turns of this frenetic romp, ask yourself: What if Scrooge was visited by a Ghost of Christmas who couldn't keep her magic from malfunctioning? What if Mrs. Bob Cratchit actually despised her life? How would a humbug cope if planted in The Gift of the Magi, It’s a Wonderful Life or Touched by an Angel? Mrs. Cratchit offers holiday hilarity that is certain to surprise, and will make you wonder how much rum is in your Eggnog.

Christopher Durang, a Bucks County, PA resident, is probably best known for his plays Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Baby With the Bathwater, and Beyond Therapy. He wrote the book and lyrics for Adrift in Macao which premiered at the Philadelphia Theatre Company in 2005 (nominated for a Barrymore Award), and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical in 1978 for A History of the American Film. Since 1994 he has been co-chair with Marsha Norman of the Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School in Manhattan .

A handful of BRT veterans lead the cast of sixteen in the lampooning. Jo Twiss, playing the title role of Gladys Cratchit will be joined by Kenneth Boys (Ebenezer Scrooge), John Little (Bob Cratchit), Demetria Joyce Bailey (The Ghosts of Christmas), and Anthony D’Amato (Mr. Fezziwig). The production will be choreographed by Gregory Daniels who just finished BRT’s I do! I do!, with scenic design by Greg Mitchell (BRT’s The Skin of Our Teeth, 2004), costume design by Linda Bee Stockton (BRT’s Holiday and Olympus on My Mind), lighting design by Jeffrey Salzberg.

Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge is not recommended for children under 13. The production runs November 13 through December 2 at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe Street , in Historic Bristol Borough. Tickets to Preview performances on November 13 and 14 are $29 with a pay what you can option available for at-door sales beginning at 7:30pm on the day of the performance. All other performances are Wednesdays through Sundays, with evening performances at 8:00pm, Wednesday through Saturday, and matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00pm, Sundays at 3:00pm. There will be no performance on Thanksgiving, November 22. Tickets are $34-$37 (depending on the day of performance) and are available by calling the BRT Box Office at

215-785-0100, or online at www.BRTstage.org. BRT thanks Verizon, Grand Sponsor of its Twenty-First Season.

"Dining With The Dovells" was a fabulous success. The Dovells and the Kelch House along with some very generous guests were able to raise $1,535.00 for The Kelly Family Center.

The profound popularity and eventual worldwide recognition of “rock and roll” [first so used in 1951, by a Cleveland disc jockey, Alan Freed, taken from the song "My Baby Rocks Me with a Steady Roll"] resulted in an unprecedented level of social impact.

Dawn Kelch, owner of the Kelch House Eatery on Mill Street along with the “Dovells”, Jerry Gross and Mark Stevens and some very generous guests and employees have made an extremely charitable level of social impact. A check for $1535.00 was presented to Ms. Dorothy Thomas, the Program Director for the Robert M. Kelly Family Center of Bristol Borough on Mill Street, who is certified in Family and Marriage Therapy. The donated monies will be used for the early literacy skills “Parents as Teachers” program, which is a part of the Family Service Association of Bucks County. “It was a lovely evening; a great party! The people and staff were very giving.”

“Dining with the Dovells” last Wednesday, January 17^th, complete with balloons and flowers and a “Welcome Dovells” banner, was amazingly fun and a phenomenal success! Jerry Gross and Mark Stevens were so entertaining and unselfishly shared their time with engaging stories including those regarding the “Stomp” lore. Contest entry forms for two winning drawings were distributed the evening of November 10, 2006 when The Dovell’s recorded their “Rock & Roll is Here to Stay” show, live for television, at The Ballroom and Theater at the Collingswood Scottish Rites Auditorium in Collingswood, NJ. The lucky winners were Millville, N.J. residents, Alyse Armstrong, Millville H.S. ’90 and her guest, her mom, Iris Carr, Millville H.S. ’67. “We had a great time. The Dovells are the nicest people and the food was fabulous!” Oaklyn, N.J. resident, Christina Silvaria, Cardinal Brennan H.S. ’74, a Nurse Instructor at Drexel University, was the other prizewinner. Her original guest choice was her sister, Regina who was unable to attend due to an injury. The Dovells called Regina from the Kelch House and wished her a heartfelt “Get Well”. Christina’s colleague, Psychiatric Social Worker Dorothy Hirshfeld, came as her guest and celebrated her recent retirement. Christina shared, “Talking with the Dovells was one of the most rewarding and pleasurable times in my life.”

Dawn Kelch big-heartedly donated all the prizes and the dinners for the Dovells and the contest winners. Dining room manager, Trish Stevenson and servers wearing retro fashion black peddle pushers, white blouses and colorful neck scarves, Kim Brizell, Lucia Burgess and Brianne Shehan donated their shift pay. The “Dining with the Dovells” was a sold out success with an overwhelming response! Dawn suggested the “Bristol Stomp” contest with a $10.00 donation registration fee. The “Bristol Stomp” was written for the Dovells in 1961 by the late Kal Mann and Dave Appell, 84 years young, executives with the Cameo/Parkway record label. “The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol, When they do the Bristol Stomp”, originally dubbed “The Goodwill Stomp” for the dance location “It started in Bristol at a DJ hop” at the Good Will Hose Company #3 Fire Station. It was “Really somethin when they join in jumpin, When they do the Bristol Stomp.” All the dance participants received an autographed Dovells CD. The 1^st place couple, Joann Hossier, Bensalem H.S. ’69 and her dance partner since 1976, Dave Seneca, BHS ’70 “stomped” home with a “Star” trophy, a $50.00 Kelch House Eatery gift certificate and an autographed CD with the Dovells and Dawn’s signature. “It’s history, you know!” 2^nd place stompers, Bonnie Troy, Neshaminy H.S. ’63 [who once danced with Dick Clark's "American Bandstand” regulars, also known as "The Committee", Arleen Sullivan and Kenny Rossi] and Charlotte Spieler, Little Flower ’67, “They hollered and whistled” and danced their way to a Bristol Riverside Theatre gift certificate along with their CD. The 3^rd place boppers “Never wanted to stop”, Carol Burke, Bishop Egan ’63 invited her dance partner to also share dinner as a Christmas present, Chandler Hall Hospice Nurse Diane Randall, Bishop Conwell ‘67. “It's got that groovy beat, That makes you stomp your feet” and all prizes were awarded on “technical merit foot action”, judged “American Idol” style by Dawn Kelch, flanked by the two Dovells.

An “Auction Basket”, donated by Dawn, with 2 bottles of wine, a $25.00 Kelch House gift certificate and 2 pieces of cut crystal vintage French stemware, went to the top bidders, good friends and patrons, Margaret and Jim Phelan, for $250.00.

The amazing dinner feast prepared by Head chef, John Branstetter, who will celebrate his one year Kelch House anniversary on Valentine’s Day, and sous chef, John Paul Valois included unique culinary delight choices of “three cheese stuffed chicken breast over rosemary mashed potatoes” or “pan seared tilapia over lemon risotto”. The guests indulged in “crème caramel with strawberry rum sauce” for dessert.

Local business owners, Carolyn Elizabeth Mignoni, Carol Ferguson, Rosemarie Szczucki and Ann Mundy of Mignoni Jewelry and Gifts, and Bill and Paula Zukor, owner of Décor & You and members of the Revitalization Task Force were part of this successful event. Truly, “Friends and Family Gather Here”.