Pattaya Players amateur dramatics society hosted a free Christmas sing-a-long party for the community at the Eastern Grand Palace Hotel on Saturday, December 17. The evening was co-hosted in English and Thai by Doug Campbell and Aranya Konchan.
The first segment in the show was a mini holiday pantomime in which the star of the previous year’s pantomime – Gertrude the Cow – auditioned for the role of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The children in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the show, cheering for Rudolph, even though the director, Mrs. Broke, believed Gertrude was not the ideal candidate. In the end, Gertrude won her over and was awarded the highly coveted role.
The panto featured Aranya Konchan and Chris Harman, with Sheldon Penner and Mara Swankey playing Gertrude.
Santa Claus was in also attendance and brought along a huge sack of candy for the girls and boys who had come to enjoy the show. The majority of the evening’s entertainment, however, was a Christmas sing-a-long. The songs were led by the Soundtronics, directed by pianist Tony Larko and featuring Sunan Thempakornkoon, John Crawford, Michael Najera and Mara Swankey. There was a delightful array of Christmas songs, including traditional old favorites and some new ones as well. In case anyone didn’t know the words, the lyrics to each song were projected onto a big screen to encourage audience participation.
Aranya Konchan stole the show with her beautiful solo performance of The Nutcracker, performed en-pointe while dressed in a holiday-themed ballet costume. The room went silent and the audience watched in rapt amazement as Aranya twirled and pirouetted through the delicate dance with complete precision. So many hours were spent practicing this difficult dance, but practice certainly made perfect. Many of the children asked to have their picture taken with Aranya after the show – she has developed quite a fan base!
At the end of the show, Pattaya Players offered a lucky draw and three guests went home with holiday gift baskets. Money was also raised and donated to the Father Ray Foundation. All the guests left with smiles on their faces and their hearts full of holiday spirit.
Pattaya Players is planning its next show, which will be “Cheating Cheaters” by John Patrick. This production requires three women and two men. Open auditions will be held on Thursday, January 12, from 7 PM at the Eastern Grand Palace Hotel on Soi Khao Talo. No prior acting experience is required, and men and women of all ages are encouraged to attend. For further information, call Gary at 085.913.1827.
