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Little Theatre-On the Square’s Christmas show delivers all the holiday mirth necessary for the season.

The cast of “Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical” shore up the production with impressive vocal performances and exaggerated characters that bring the show to life.

In addition to the professional cast, the show features nine area students from the Little Theatre’s dance and drama program. The youngsters are a great addition to the production, and six-year-old Olivia Kellerman is so adorable she nearly steals the show.

The story begins before the curtain rises when the quirky nuns and Father Virgil come into the audience and explain that they are getting ready to film a Christmas special from the basement of their convent for Sullivan’s cable access channel.

The nuns have put together their own sort of Christmas variety show, but as it progresses they run into a few problems.

The heart-warming corniness makes the production feel like a grownup version of a grade school Christmas pageant, but in the best way possible. The difference is this one is delivered by talented professionals who know what they’re doing.

Despite wearing habits that cover everything except their faces, the four actresses don’t let their costumes stifle their talents.

Elizabeth Loos (Sister Mary Regina) and Kara Guy (Sister Mary Paul) are especially good at bringing their characters to life through their facial expressions. They’re animated at all times, making it easier to connect with them.

All four of the actresses have knockout voices that fill up the theater. Chelsea Waller (Sister Mary Hubert) shines in the final number “It’s Better To Give,” and Megan Cone (Sister Robert Anne) shares her powerful voice in a special shout out to Decatur by signing, “Jesus Was Born In Decatur.” “A Carnival Christmas” by Loos was also a standout performance.

Some of the musical numbers in the first half of the show move slowly, but the tempo and the laugh’s increase in the second act.

Johnny Pruitt (Father Virgil) creates one of the funniest moments of the production when he steps in to host a cooking show for an absent Sister Julia. Wearing an apron over his habit and armed with fruitcake, his Julia Child impression is one of the highlights of the show.

WHAT: “Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical”
WHEN: 2 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 8 p.m. Thursday; 2 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Little Theatre-On The Square, Sullivan
TICKETS: $30 adults, $28 seniors by calling 728-7375
ON THE WEB: www.thelittletheatre.com

Music can often intensify emotions and make the trials of life more vivid.

That’s what happened to me Wednesday morning during the memorial service for the Herald & Review’s veteran reporter and favorite storyteller, Ron Ingram.

The newsroom was quiet and somber early this week as we all tried to deal with his empty but prominent seat in the newsroom.

We all knew he was gone, but the grind of the daily news we still had to produce somehow got in the way of accepting it.

It seemed, for me anyway, like he was on vacation and I expected to see his hat poking above the cubicles at anytime as he walked back into the newsroom.

Then Wednesday morning his family, friends and community members gathered for the memorial service. All of a sudden as I sang Ron’s favorite hymns, it hit me that it was real.

His favorite songs were serious but still full of joy, just like Ron.

The hymns that were important to him somehow helped me understand what we had lost. They brought out the emotions I hadn’t yet been able to find. They taught me more about him, but at the same time reminded me of all I’d never have the chance to learn from him.

Music, no matter its origin or style, can pack more of a punch than any conversation we might have or any words we might read sometimes.

So I’m glad I was able to share Ron’s favorite hymns this week. They helped me to learn one more thing from him. It’s not enough, but at least it was one more thing.

This will be an extremely short blog post, but I just wanted to get the word out.

The Avon will screen two classic Christmas movies during the next few weeks for free.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” will play at 7 p.m. Thur. Dec. 10, and “Christmas Vacation” will play at 7 p.m. Thur. Dec. 17.

Not a bad way to get into the holiday spirit.

After a depressing attendance at Jedemi’s production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” in late September, theater group leader Jerry Johnson had a more successful go of it this past weekend with his one-man show.

Johnson staged three productions of “The Santaland Diaries” in the Madden Arts Center to a total weekend audience of about 150.

While the number may seem small, Johnson said it worked out well because of the size of the venue.

“I was hoping for around 100 for the weekend and I ended up with 150,” he said.

Despite the positive turnout, Johnson said the fate of the theater group is still unknown.

He wants to continue putting on productions with Jedemi, but after “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” landed them in the red, Johnson isn’t sure yet if that’s possible. As of now, he doesn’t have plans for any new productions.

Thanks to Millikin, Richland, and other area arts organizations, we have ample opportunities to attend music and drama performances in town on a regular basis.

But the one type of performing art that Decatur doesn’t see as frequently is dance.

Sure, we see it mixed in at musicals and show choir performances, but we rarely get to see purely dance performances.

Decatur does have a lot of dance studios that put on recitals each year, and those are great assets to our town. I grew up dancing through those different studios and that’s how I built my love for the art form.

Now as an adult I prefer to observe it more than I practice it, and sometimes wish I had more opportunities to do so closer to home.

This weekend, Richland’s dance program is performing “The Nutcracker,” and next weekend Millikin students will give their annual dance concert, “Solstice.”

While students dancing at both Richland and Millikin are more like professionals in training, it is still a nice treat when they perform for the public. Their performances won’t be as polished as those of professional dance companies, but the tickets also won’t cost you $50 or more.

Here’s information about Richland’s “The Nutcracker” and here’s information about Millikin’s “Solstice.”

If you enjoy dance, these performances might be the only chances you’ll have to see it in Decatur until recital season rolls around in the spring.

I spent a few hours at the mall and many more online shopping for good deals on Christmas presents this past weekend. I was trying to capitalize on Black Friday, as I’m sure many of you did as well.

When it was all said and done, I ended up with two pairs of shoes and some scented holiday candles. But they were all for me.

Yes, yes, your first conclusion might be to assume I’m just selfish, and you might be right. But I’d like to argue that while shopping the Doorbuster Deals and scanning for good sales online, I just didn’t see anything worth buying.

I can’t afford to spend a ton on all my family and friends, so most of the nifty electronic gadgets such as this battery charging pad are out. I’d also prefer to find something a little more unique than the gift cards or Christmas ties.

Since I haven’t had much luck with gifts so far, I’m looking forward to the special holiday art shops that are opening up downtown this week. Both Gallery 510 and the Madden Arts Center host month-long art sales during December that feature work from local artists.

The annual Decatur Area Artists Against AIDS Art Show is also starting up this week, but it will only be open until Saturday Dec. 5.

All of the shows will feature prints, photography, paintings, jewelry and a lot more that could work perfectly for unique holiday gifts. And from what I understand, the prices should be manageable with some as low as $5 or less.

All three of these locations, plus many more of the unique shops downtown will extend shopping hours until 8 p.m. Wednesday during Decatur’s Christmas Walk. If you had as much luck as I did with shopping, why not spend an hour or two to see what you can find downtown.

As the end of the year approaches, we’ll begin to hear more chatter about the Oscars and other movie awards.

If you happen to be out of town visiting friends and family during this long weekend or have plans to do so in the coming months, you might take the time to see a limited release film or two that Decatur theater’s haven’t put on the screen just yet.

There are a handful of films playing only in the larger markets that will likely be nominated for awards that Decatur’s smaller market might not see for a while, if at all.

Local theaters have shown some of the likely nominees so far, including “Bright Star,” “The Hurt Locker” and “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Kudos if you took advantage of them while they were here.

As award show dates get closer, more films will likely come to the area. But if you have the chance to see something like “An Education” or “A Serious Man” during your holiday travels, why not? Then let the rest of us know what you thought so we’ll know if it’s worth our time and money when they do pop up a little closer to home.

Here are a few links to award show Web sites that will give you an idea of what films are like to bag awards this year.

LA Times’s The Envelope

Variety’s Award Central

It was obvious that the Decatur Jaycees Christmas Parade was missing something this year.

Tanya Lee, Illinois Jaycees President, said Saturday’s annual parade featured 50 entries, about 20 less than normally participated before it was switched to a lighted parade. This was the second year the Christmas parade started at 5:30 p.m. instead of the traditional 10 a.m. start time.

It was still a nice parade with a lot to look at, but the problem was it only lasted 30 minutes. I almost missed Santa and Mrs. Clause because I wasn’t expecting them so soon.

Lee said she isn’t sure why the number of entrees has declined. She said she hasn’t had any negative feedback about the time change except for some concerns that a night time parade will be too cold.

This year the weather was great. From what I could tell, the sidewalks and curbs were packed with people excited for the holiday season tradition. If they were anything like me, we all went home a little disappointed.

One obvious element missing from the parade this year was a band. Lee said she invites bands to participate every year, but hasn’t been getting a good response.

Jim Culbertson, director of the MacArthur Marching Band, said the reason they haven’t played in the past two years is because of a scheduling conflict.

The parade falls on the same day as the Illinois Music Educators Association Conference where his best students compete. When the parade was in the morning, Culbertson was able to balance both event, but now with the parade at 5:30 p.m., he can’t accommodate them both.

I’m unsure if other area bands had similar conflicts or not. I just know that when a parade doesn’t have a band it’s obvious that something is missing.

I personally like the idea of a lighted parade. I think the lights make the event more festive and set it apart from the other traditional parades. However, I don’t think it’s worth it if it means the parade is going to shrink.

I can’t say for sure if the time change is the reason for less entries in the past two years, but I would guess it is at least a factor.

Maybe the later start time interferes with other events, maybe organizations don’t have the extra money for lights, or maybe people just don’t like to break away from tradition.

Where do you stand? Would you prefer a morning parade or a lighted parade? What do you think works best for Decatur?

Taylor Swift, the 19-year-old country singer who seems to be everywhere all of a sudden, literally could be everywhere in spring 2010.

She could be in your mailbox, on your birthday presents and anywhere else greeting cards are found. She has a deal with American Greetings Corp. to release a greeting card line that will feature the writing and positive ideas she puts into her song lyrics.

At first, creating your own greeting card line seemed odd to me, but then…why not? Jessica Simpson created edible makeup, but no one seemed to bat an eye when that happened.

I’m not a big fan of country music, so the only exposure I get to Swift is when she is in the media. With the MTV Video Music Awards controversy, her 2009 CMT Entertainer of the Year Award, and her recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, I haven’t been able to get away from her.

It’s not that I dislike her or mind seeing her in the media, I just feel like she’s become very visible lately.

With a quick Google search, I learned what many of you probably already know – her music has been at the top of the charts since 2008, and her crossover power has led her to a lot of firsts. For instance, she was the first country star to take home an MTV Music Video Award.

I can’t say anything about the quality or content of her actual music, but everything else about her seems to be impressive.

I was pleasantly surprised by her performance on SNL a few weeks ago (the acting, not the singing). I’m unsure if that will translate well when she appears in the 2010 romantic comedy, “Valentine’s Day,” but I’m willing to admit it’s possible.

I wonder if she’ll use her new greeting card line to promote the movie, or vice versa. Ingenious.

For anyone not ready for the holidays, I have a music video that might help you ease into them a little more smoothly.

Bob Dylan has released a music video for his single, “Must Be Santa” from his first Christmas album, “Christmas In The Heart.”

The video can be seen on RollingStone.com. And even if you’re not ready for Christmas music, you should watch it on mute.

It features Dylan at a rambunctious Christmas party donning a long wig and a Santa hat. He even does a little dancing.

How could anyone not enjoy a dancing Dylan in a Santa hat? Even the biggest Christmas grouches won’t be able to resist his gruff charm.

If you do decide to listen and you like what you hear, Dylan is donating all U.S. proceeds from the album to Feeding America. You can find more info on his Web site.