Before the stroke of midnight, you should go see At the Stroke of Midnight.
This charming and delightful show, best described as "A Christmas Carol meets Elf" plays at Pines Dinner Theatre from now until December 23. Showtimes are Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30; Saturdays at 1:30 and 7:30 and Fridays at 7:30; plus Tuesday, November 29 and select Wednesdays: November 30 and December 7, at 1:30.
Isaiah Mayhew as Bob Barking opens the show with a sweet, melodious voice as he sings the title song. He has a very convincing British accent, which he uses to narrate throughout the show.
Gwen Vigorito as Emily Thatcher is cheery and also does a convincing British accent. Her soprano voice is lovely, particularly in "To Think of You". Thatcher does a great job standing up to the shows Scrooge-like character, William Hawthorne, played with delightful sarcasm and with a strong baritone by Patrick Philip Becker. His standout song is "Why Me".
Josie La Torress voice harmonizes nicely with the rest of the cast. She plays Martha Wimple, Elizabeths shop assistant, with charm, pleasantry and enthusiasm. Her innocent naivety is adorable.
Seth Turner is believable as the shy, unsure of himself James Finch. The awkward scenes between Martha and Seth in the beginning are quite funny, as James proves to be missing the obvious. The last scene between them, however, is poignant. Turners baritone is rich and clear.
Familiar Christmas carols intersperse seamlessly throughout the show, providing a nice contrast to the less familiar songs written for this play. The voices blend well in harmonies of "Here We Come a Caroling" and "The First Noel".The shock on all the carolers faces when Miss Thatcher says shes inviting Mr. Hawthorne to the town dinner is funny and priceless.
Rounding out this excellent cast are Katie Surratt as Elizabeth Westbrooke, Chelsea Sharp as Mary Hawkins and Maxwell Gorman as Isaac Weston.
Tickets are $32 (plus a $3 convenience fee), and can be purchased by calling the box office at 610-433-2333, emailing