Free Christmas Concert at ITAC

ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company will host a free Christmas Concert by The Great Bluegrass Herons and Friends on Sunday evening, December 13 at 7 pm. The Great Bluegrass Heron are a musical group from the Hills/Sharon Center area featuring Mark and Janet Wilson and Paul and Julie Roberts. Mark Wilson and Paul Roberts are currently on stage in the ITAC production, All Wrapped Up for Christmas. Also performing that evening will be Karl Bodenbender of East Amana, Bob Black of North English, Al and Aleta Murphy of Iowa City, Audrey Yoder of Sharon Center, The Andy Wilcom Trio of the Kalona area and Meg Merckens of South Amana. The evening promises to be one of music, song and staged readings; everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

Get into the Holiday Spirit with All Wrapped Up

By Meghan D'Souza

ITAC - I walked into All Wrapped Up For Christmas feeling very much like a scrooge. Thanksgiving is days away and I forgot that Halloween has already passed. This means Christmas is around the corner and I didn't think I was ready to hear a single Christmas song. But I like plays and didn't want to spend my Saturday night in, so I grabbed a date and we set off for this show.

Boy, am I glad we did! Talent is not a strong enough term for this cast of ten, three of which were 15, 13, and 11 years old and all of whom played the instruments in this music-filled show. Acoustic guitars, banjos, harmonicas, maracas, bells, a fiddle, a drum, and a piano are the major instruments played by this cast, and not by a band on the side of the stage. Smaller instruments, such as a sliding whistle, were also used to for sound effects.

When we sat down, we faced a set designed with whimsical gifts that stood taller than the cast. This set the festive tone that we experienced for the next hour and a half. A welcoming blue-haired Alonzo Boomchuck, played by Ryan Westwood, came out in a bright red, blue, and green outfit to begin telling the tale we were about to witness. As it turns out, everyone with blue hair belonged to Uncle Earl (Mark Wilson) and had been quarreling with his sister, Aunt Tillie (Meg Merckens) and her family with green hair for years. When they were forced to be together, though, kinship overcame hostility as they got out their instruments and played music. Often, such a jam would happen "at the drop of a hat." Specifically, Grandpappy's (Marshall Nielsen) hat.

Whose Grandpappy is he? No one knows. Not even Grandpappy, himself! But in the spirit of Christmas, Grandpappy suggests the Boomchucks have a family reunion to see if they can work out their problems. And so ends the summary before any spoilers are made.

So many things made this play work. I've discussed the simple, but whimsical set which matched the Dr. Seuss-like look of the characters. Outside of the instruments, there were no props used in the entire play. As I see it, the use of props can go many ways. Props can come in very handy to add fine details to a play. Props can get in the way of a play and take away from scenes. Or, as is the case here, you can go very far without any props at all. With the use of instruments, body language and, of course, stellar acting, we in the audience could see everything that was supposed to be on the set. A sleighride. A hill of snow. Trees. We experienced it all and with humor that had us laughing out loud.

Because music played a major role in the story, I can't go through the review without mentioning some individual talents. Of course, the whole group was outstanding. Westwood had us laughing at his great impersonation of Elvis singing "Blue Christmas." He also took us to a serene place when he performed "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Stephanie Daft (Penny Boomchuck) swept us away with "O Holy Night."

Real life siblings Aaron Ockenfels (Burl Boomchuck), Alexander Ockenfels (Boo Boomchuck) and Allison Ockenfels (Bonnie Boomchuck) played the roles of the Boomchuck children and shared their time in the spotlight during the middle of the performance. Alexander wowed the audience with his ability to not only play the banjo, but to rock it like an '80s rockstar, with it between his knees and behind his back. Allison, at age 11, was impressive with her ability to play the fiddle as if she was an adult playing it professionally. These kids added just as much instrumentally as the adults in the play and were a joy to watch.

A true showstopper for me, for both her talent and humor, was when the small-framed Merckens took the stage by unexpected storm to burst out "A Marshmallow World." Donned in her ridiculous green dress, stripped green shirt, striped red knee socks and bright red cat eye glasses, she swung her arms about and belted the song out like she was Liza Minnelli. Her huge smile, her presence on the stage, and her character's inability to keep the enthusiasm inside was so humorous to witness that I'm smiling as I recall it.

And though no one knows who Grandpappy belongs to, I would gladly take him in. Nielsen's kind, grandpa-esque voice and contagious laugh plus his ability to let loose on stage, even if it may mean dancing to "Mele Kalikimaka" in coconuts and a grass skirt (He had a t-shirt and shorts on underneath. This is absolutely a show you should bring the kids to!), added a wonderful touch to the play.

After the show, the cast treated the audience to carols and even invited us to sing along with them. It was a joyous way to wrap up All Wrapped Up for Christmas.


Meghan D'Souza lives in Coralville with her husband and beloved dog. She is a University of Iowa graduate and works at the Iowa City Public Library. She has written for The Burlington Hawk Eye and is currently a freelance writer.

ITAC is All Wrapped Up

ITAC - The Iowa Theatre Artists Company opens their first holiday production in their new Amana home (the former Barn Restaurant) on Thursday, November 19. This original play with music written by Tom Johnson and the ITAC Ensemble will have a three week run over a four week period, with a week off during the Thanksgiving holidays. A special Saturday matinee on December 5 has been scheduled at 1:30 pm in addition to the five regular performances that week to coincide with the Prelude festivities in Amana.

All Wrapped Up For Christmas features ten Iowa Theatre Artists who play musical instruments which include banjo, guitar, violin, stand up bass, piano, harmonica, ukelele, and even an array of “bells and whistles.” This ensemble of actors also sings and tells stories – both new and traditional. The age range of the artists on stage is from 11 to 75 years of age and will introduce to ITAC audiences the Ockenfels family, three very talented young musicians/singers from Wellman who have entertained throughout Iowa, including being named a Semi Finalist at the 2009 Iowa State Fair Bill Riley Talent Search. Meg Merckens, ITAC co-producer stated, “We are excited to offer our very first family show that we think will be a hit with all ages. It’s a show “about” family for the entire family. So bring the kids, bring the grandparents, and everyone in-between!”

Rounding out the cast are Karl Bodenbender (East Amana), Stephani Daft (Iowa City) Meg Merckens (South Amana), Marshall Nielsen (Cedar Falls), Paul Roberts (Sharon Center), Ryan Westwood (Davenport), and Mark Wilson (Hills). Thomas P. Johnson is the director with set design by Paula Grady and Marshall Nielsen based on a visual concept by Johnson.

All Wrapped Up For Christmas runs November 19 -22 and December 3 – 13. ITAC offers a holiday special ticket price of $20 for Adults and $10 for Students. As an opening weekend "pre-Thanksgiving special," children age 6 – 15 are half price, or $5. The $5 Ticket Price is good only for performances from November 19 – 22. “Though fast-paced, funny with lots of music and good stories, we recommend this show for children 6 years of age and older,” explained Tom Johnson, Director of the show and ITAC co-producer. Afternoon performances are Thursday and Sunday at 1:30 PM with a “Talkback” session after each matinee performance. Evening Performances are Thursday through Sunday at 7:30 PM.

Ticket information and reservations are available through the ITAC Box Office: 319-622-3222. Information is also listed on the theatre's website.