Wind in the Willows Christmas musical comes to Rosebud

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

When Rosebud Theatre’s Artistic Director Morris Ertman saw a Christmas version of Wind in the Willows a few years ago, “I was utterly transported,” he said. “I found myself with tears down my cheeks because it was so beautiful.”
He walked away from the theatre that night, saying to himself, “I’d like to bring a piece that felt like that to Rosebud for Christmas.”
The show he’s brought to Rosebud this Christmas is a different production, but Ertman believes it’ll bring Rosebud audiences the same tender feelings.
Wind in the Willows Christmas at Rosebud is based on three musical fables by John Rutter, a modern English composer.
“His music goes everywhere from silly sort of Gilbert-and-Sullivan vaguely operatic goofiness that feels a little like Monty Python,” Ertman said, “to incredibly funky jazz, to music you’d hear in a cathedral.”
The first fable starts with Toad of Toad Hall, returning home on Christmas Eve after being in jail for reckless behaviour.
“(He) realizes that home is the very best place,” Ertman said. In his absence, his friends had taken over his house, but “when it comes time for everybody to go home, he doesn’t want to let them go.”
That leads them into telling the second fable, The Reluctant Dragon.
“A young boy hears that there’s a dragon up in the cave, up in the hills,” Ertman said. When he goes to find the dragon, the terrified villagers follow him, but the dragon is actually “a poet and a peacemaker,”
Ertman said. St. George comes for a fake battle to slay the dragon and calm the villagers, and then they all go down to the village for Christmas dinner – but the dragon comes too.
The third fable, set in a monastery, is based on a 13th century story. Brother Heinrichs, a musical monk, has a donkey who likes to sing in the choir. But when the archbishop is scheduled to visit, the donkey is banned, and the monks insist they get new music, which is eventually provided by an angel choir – and Brother Heinrichs’ donkey.
“They do it for the archbishop and the archbishop is amazed,” Ertman said. “All these animals wind up singing the story of Jesus coming to earth, and so it lands at the cradle, at the crèche.
“It’s extraordinarily beautiful — and silly. This will actually deliver the feeling everybody’s looking for at Christmas time. You want to laugh. You want to feel light and full of life. And you want to feel really, really deeply. And that’s what this show is going to offer people.”
Wind in the Willows Christmas at Rosebud plays Nov. 6 to Dec. 19 in Rosebud’s Opera House. Call 1-800-267-7553 or go to rosebudtheatre.com for tickets.