♪♫ Drifty, the Snowman ♫♪

Tradition #6: SEEING THE CHRISTMAS SHOW AT SWIFT CREEK

I have been in the theatre most of my life. I started when I was 10. That's over 37 years. Not only has it brought me great joy but also some wonderful friendships. You can be sure that almost every show that goes up in Richmond has somebody in it that I know, but this post is about a very special group of friends that have been doing a series at Christmas time that revolves around the chararcter of Drifty the Snowman. I believe this year marks Drifty's 20th anniversary. I went to see my first Drifty show when my girls were 1 and 4. They are now 18 and 14. They were mesmerized. That's not a small feat to  mesmerize a 1 year old. It became a tradition. We went every year until the girls were at the end of elementary school.

The shows are little mini musicals about Christmas. Who doesn't love that? Drifty usually has some question to be answered or a dilemma to get out of, and he always needs the help of his North Pole friends, Cowboy Jim, Mrs. Claus, Pepita, (an Equadorian Elf), Christy, the Christmas Seal (think barking not stamp) and usually the "Big Guy" himself will make an appearance. The shows are filled with catchy little songs (just as good or better than anything you'd hear in a Rankin-Bass Christmas special) written by my very dear friend, Paul Deiss. The best part about it is the fact that it gives the child an experience with LIVE theatre. They can interact instead of sitting in front of a television screen. They feel like the characters are their friends and there's that little bit of Christmas magic we all need in our lives.
This year Paul has compiled a CD of songs from those shows through the years. It is available on iTunes and CDbaby.com. If you need to bring a little Christmas magic in your life all year long, consider ordering this CD, and next year make a trip down to Swift Creek Mill Theater to see Drifty and his friends. You won't be disappointed.