"Home for Christmas"

   My pal Dave Lavender filed an excellent story in today's Herald-Dispatch about this Saturday's Home for Christmas concert, which you can read right here - or here (slightly edited to include the latest information):

   If you went to college and only had 35 shows under your belt, you may be a First Stage Theatre alum. 

   If you spent more time in the Keith-Albee and the Jean Carlo Stephenson auditorium than you did your own house, you may be a First Stage alum. 

   If you can name all of the McElroy boys you may be a First Stage alum. 

   While most weeks will find First Stage alums shining on stages from New York and touring shows around the world to universities scattered across the country, this Christmas weekend, First Stage Theatre Company is calling them home. 

   The 23-year-old children's theater company is for the second year, casting a glowing light on its talent-laden alums in a concert event called "Home for Christmas," a benefit concert at Huntington's City Hall auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. 

   Hosted by one of the First State Theatre founders, C.E.Wilson, the evening will feature such First Stage alums as: Evan Price, Brittany Hazeldine, Bronson Bush, Alison Smith, Sarah Hayes, Evan Minsker, Cody Verbage, Maggie Saunders, Caleb and Lara Donahoe, Levi Kelley, Kristin Caviani, Eric Wilson, Shayne Gue, Athena Gilette, Robyn Welch, Sarena Johnson, Ashleigh Bills, Susan Leist, Zach Davis, Eric Newfeld and Meag Muller. 

   The directing team includes: Director Chuck Minsker, Music Director Mike Campbell and Producers Leslie Comer Porter and Becky Craig. 

   Tickets are $12, $10 for senior citizens and $8 for children 12 and under. 

   Minsker said they tried a homecoming show last year in September to see if it might work, and it was so successful they've decided to make it an annual event that will happen around Christmas when students are coming home anyway. 

   "The first one was an experiment to see if it would work bringing in people from all over the country and it worked so well and was so much fun," Minsker said. "I'll have to admit that I was a little bit nervous having our first rehearsal the night before the show but all of the kids came back and were telling stories and it went so well, we all thought that we have to make this a regular thing." 

   Minsker said they see the concert as a way for the great performers who grew up on stage in Huntington to Pay it Forward' to the actors of tomorrow as the concert benefits First Stage, which has after decades finally bought a place to store their equipment and props and that one day could be a small performance space as well. 

   "The children's theatre recently purchased a small warehouse near downtown Huntington -- our first 'home' in the group's 23-year history," said First Stage President Hunt Bryan. "We're using the space for storage and set construction, but with improvements, it will eventually include a small theatre space for performances, rehearsals and drama classes." 

   Minsker said they've got about a third of that building paid off thanks in part to last year's fundraiser. 

   Armed with musical director and veteran keyboardist Mike Campbell and a small band, singers have picked through the Christmas canon of classics as well as contemporary tunes to share on Saturday. 

   No matter if they are now professors, dancers, writers, actors, lawyers or still students, Minsker said they're so proud to gather the First Stage alums and to celebrate the perennial role that First Stage plays in molding young people. 

   "It's amazing how many are out there doing great things and not only as performers and singers but those who have gone into different fields," Minsker said. "The skills they have learned on stage here translate into any field and we are so proud what they have done with their lives." 

   For more information, go online at http://www.firststagetheatre.org.