Theater premiere will be ‘Wonderful Night’

By Guy D’Astolfo

SHARON, Pa. — The premiere of “It’s a Wonderful Night,” a musical comedy for the holiday season, will be the first production of a new dinner-theater at First United Methodist Church in downtown Sharon.

“Wonderful Night” was written by Los Angeles-based writer Luke Cowles and titled as a tribute to the classic Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The story revolves around six people who get snowed in at a department store on Christmas Eve and have to spend their holiday together. Mystery and magic comes into play when a homeless man stumbles in from the cold with a message that renews their holiday spirit.

Though the story is completely original and is being staged for the first time, it includes several classic Christmas songs, including “Sleigh Ride,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Santa Baby” and “Merry Christmas, Darling.”

The premiere came to Sharon through a partnership between Sharon native John Miller, director of the Holiday Players Dinner Theatre, and Richard Roberts, pastor of First United Methodist Church. Miller has more than 20 years of experience managing theater organizations in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He also spent time in Los Angeles where he appeared on several television shows, including “ER,” “Desperate Housewives” and “CSI: New York.”

“I have always wanted to start a theater based on the holidays,” said Miller. “Does anyone remember the old movie ‘Holiday Inn’? It is the movie that served as the model for the wildly popular ‘White Christmas’ nearly a decade later, and it sparked the inspiration for this theater group.”

Miller, former general manager of the Barrow Civic Theatre in Franklin, approached the Rev. Mr. Roberts with the idea, who offered the church as a venue. Mr. Roberts said the show, which will partially benefit the church, can illuminate the Christmas spirit in Sharon, much like it does for the story’s characters.

“I really think this show can be the shot in the arm the community needs to bring folks downtown,” said Mr. Roberts. “I moved here last January, and I see the potential for a lot of great things. I hope this show can be the start of that.”

Not only is Mr. Roberts producer of the show, he’s also in it. He plays an unemployed autoworker who has taken a job playing Santa in the department store for extra cash.

Cowles, the playwright, is a native of Canton. He has worked as a professional actor at the former Carousel Dinner Theater in Akron, and now works as an actor and writer in Los Angeles.

Cowles is a professional colleague and friend of Miller’s. The two met 16 years ago when both were in the cast of “A Chorus Line” at The Players Guild of Canton.

He wrote another original musical, “Halloween Match,” which Miller premiered at the Barrow Theater last year.