The fourth annual Raley’s Theatre of Lights is a FREE holiday program of the Old Sacramento Business Association.
Clement Clarke Moore’s classic Christmas poem will come to spectacular life Nov. 21 through Dec. 31 on the balconies and facades of Old Sacramento at K Street and Front.
Narrated by American literary icon Mark Twain, the live-action retelling of Moore’s 1823 poem — “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more popularly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” — promises to be bigger and better than ever.
Conceived and created by Stage Nine Entertainment’s Troy Carlson, the Raley’s Theatre of Lights will bring together some of California’s finest talents in the field of light and sound: Sacramento Theatrical Lighting, Associated Sound and Skywalker Sound, and professional voice actor Bill Farmer, the voice of Disney’s Goofy.
Visitors in Old Sacramento can view the production from the center of K Street as the story is performed from the balconies of the buildings around them.
As Mark Twain, himself a one-time denizen of Sacramento, tells of the calamities — and revelry — that befell the new city in the 1850s, the sounds of the fires, floods and parties will surround the audience as the 150-year-old building facades light up with color.
As he launches into “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Twain will note that the first Christmas edition of The Sacramento Bee included a reprint of the poem, and the building across the street from Twain will become a stage for the famous visit from St. Nick.
The 2012 edition of the Raley’s Theatre of Lights will premiere Wednesday, Nov. 21, after the lighting of the City of Sacramento Christmas tree at Front and K at 6 p.m.
Complete performance schedule:
Wednesday, November 21, 6 p.m.
Friday, November 23, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, November 24, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, November 25, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, November 29, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, November 30, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, December 1, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, December 2, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, December 6, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, December 7, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, December 8, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, December 9, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, December 13, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, December 14, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, December 15, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, December 16, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, December 20, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, December 21, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, December 22, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, December 23, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Monday, December 24, 6:15 p.m. (Christmas Eve)
Thursday, December 27, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, December 28, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, December 29, 6:15, 7:45 p.m.
Sunday, December 30, 6:15, 7:45 p.m
Monday, December 31, 7:00, 8:30 p.m. (New Year’s Eve)
Written by Keilah Woodard
My love for exploring and creating experiences with my three kids led to the founding of SacramentoSidetracks.com in 2009. I realized that Sacramento has so much to offer and I was excited to share my findings with other parents. Besides simply having fun, these are the other positive side effects of taking my kids on outings that I’ve discovered: we have quality time together away from the distractions at home, we cultivate our curiosity, learn new things, conversations are triggered by what we see and do, we connect and bond as a family, and we create new memories. Ready to get sidetracked, too? Let me be your guide!
