‘Yuletide Jamboree’ puts bluegrass in the holiday

Staff report

Columbiana

34west Theater presents an all-new holiday musical, “Yuletide Jamboree,” at Dutch Village Inn Nov. 25 through Dec. 17, with special weekday matinees Nov. 29 and 30 and Dec. 6, 7, 10, 12 and 17.

34west Theater goes country with an all-new bluegrass holiday musical filled with beauty pageants and plenty of home-spun holiday hilarity. All bets are off when Linda Lu burns the Christmas turkey and jeopardizes her last chance at winning the Miss Snow Ball competition. Through the help of a local front-porch radio show and two bumbling postal workers, Linda Lu discovers what’s most important, her family ... and sugar-coated crawdads.

Brimming with foot-stompin’ holiday tunes, the musical includes “Suzy Snowflake” and “Christmas Time’s a Comin.’” In recent years, 34west has presented other Jamboree musicals with the same cast and characters. “This is the fourth installment of the Jamboree series,” said 34west Artistic Director Jeffrey Querin. “Uncle Dwight, Jimmy D and Linda Lu are some of the most requested characters in our repertoire.”

New every year, the 34west holiday show features 34west alum Stephen Wayne, Maria Householder and Querin, who plays the leading role. “We each portray multiple characters, make quick changes, and try not to crack each other up in the process,” said Querin. “Audiences always say it’s reminiscent of the old “Carol Burnett Show” episodes — lots of laughter with a touch of sentimentality.”

Das Dutch Village Inn provides a four-course meal featuring a buffet-style dinner with three entrees, assorted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Also included in the meal is a variety of fine desserts and a low-sugar option. Groups can sit eight or 10 people to a table.

All dinner theaters take place in the banquet center of Dutch Village Inn, 150 E. state Route 14. Seating for evening shows begins at 6:45 p.m. with the meal beginning at 7 p.m. Seating for matinees begins at 11:45 a.m. with a meal at noon. Tickets are $40, matinee $35. Discounts are given for groups of eight or more. For reservations and lodging information, call 866-482-5050.