A Nostalgic Christmas Matinee will be held at the Lyric Theatre on Dec. 12 and 13. The matinee evokes memories of the theatre’s rich history, back to a time when the theatre was owned by Jack Lundholm and there were free Christmas matinees for children.
Longtime Swift Current residents, Pat Kelly, Thelma Marsh, Mary Belle Lautsch and Jean Humble all have vivid memories of the Christmas matinees.
Pat Kelly remembers attending the theatre on Christmas Day, noting that her mother was pleased to have the children out of the house so that she could prepare Christmas dinner. Kelly recalls that the theatre was full of youngsters, all excited to attend a free show.
Matinees were also held on Saturdays leading up to Christmas Day, noted Thelma Marsh. MaryBelle Lautsch added that it was a nice ‘something extra’ for Christmas.
Jean Humble recalls seeing cute shows like Shirley Temple at the theatre, although admits there must have been others as she can’t imagine her brothers sitting through a Shirley Temple movie. She remembers taking her younger sister to the movies, and while it was a chore to get her sister to sit still for the matinee, she enjoyed them very much.
A vivid memory for many of the women was the bag of treats they received at the matinee, with a Japanese orange, hard candy, and some peanuts. The orange was a real treat, as you could only get them at Christmas. Humble remembers the oranges being small enough to fit in her pocket.
Children will have a chance to step back in time and enjoy a classic Christmas matinee for themselves this year. Each lucky child will get the opportunity to create two unique Christmas crafts, and watch the delightful 1987 feature film ‘A Muppet Family Christmas.’ There will also be a special visit from Santa with a small surprise for every child.
The film ‘A Muppet Family Christmas’ is a well-loved story centered around an unexpected visit from Fozzie and the Muppet Show gang. When they drop in to see Fozzie’s mother, she is forced to cancel her winter vacation plans and entertain them all. Soon the Sesame Street gang come by as carolers, and then Kermit and his nephew Robin discover a Fraggle Rock hole in the basement. A snow storm blows in, stranding everyone at the house, except for Miss Piggy, who arrives just in time for all the Muppets to celebrate Christmas together.
The Lyric Theatre’s Nostalgic Christmas Matinee will take place on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13, and will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $5, plus a donation for the Salvation Army Christmas Hampers. Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult, and babies under one year old are admitted free of charge. Tickets for the matinee are available at Pharmasave.
By Jessi Gowan
