Traditions are often associated with the theater. There’s the tradition of saying “Break a leg” instead of “Good luck” before a show. There’s the tradition of giving flowers to the leading lady and many other traditions that could easily provide enough information for a few books.  There are also so many holiday traditions and any one of those could fill a few volumes.  Put the two together – theater holiday traditions – and you start thinking about Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and “The Nutcracker.” Well, it’s time to add to that list the Christmas Theatre Banquet at the Spinning Wheel Inn located in Redding Ridge.

For the past 25 years, Trumbull resident Karen Randazzo has been responsible for the writing and directing of the holiday shows at the historic and rural inn located on scenic Route 58.  She has honed her craft to the point where she knows just when to end a scene, break away with enough time for audiences to enjoy one of the four courses served during the show, and then to re-engage and return  the audience to the story seamlessly.

What many people attending the light-hearted event might not be aware of is that Ms. Randazzo is a highly accomplished professional director with New York credits. She works closely with her husband Peter Randazzo, a musician who creates arrangements and often writes original music for these local shows.

Through the years, I got to know this talented theater couple through interviews and at various theatrical venues. During one interview, I discovered that Mr. Randazzo had his own recording studio and that during his college years, he actually got to perform with legendary symphony orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein.     Some of Mr. Randazzo’s original holiday songs integrated into these Spinning Wheel shows have been so touching and so beautifully written that I’m surprised he hasn’t produced his own CD for mass market. Recently, he was spotlighted in a theater magazine as an actor with film credits.

This couple has essentially dedicated itself to theater and happily every holiday season they give us a glimpse of their wide range of talent in the lighthearted shows they create at the Spinning Wheel Inn.     Mind you, all of the members in these holiday musical treats have the most outstanding and professional theater backgrounds. Most of them have extensive stage and vocal experiences.

This year, Ms. Randazzo has created a realistic scenario that unites family and chums in  “Old Friends.”  It’s a fitting title, since this marks a quarter of a century that she has been associated with the Inn. Many audiences do consider the Theatre Banquet an annual holiday outing and have also come to know the actors and musicians through the years.
So after you sip your creamy harvest vegetable soup and enjoy the mixed field greens salad, you can sit back and meet Ms. Randazzo’s latest cast of characters.

Read more about this holiday theater offering in the December issue of The Review.