Running on Nov. 27, 28, Dec. 6, 10, 11, 12 at 8:00 with a 2:00 matinee on Dec. 12, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is based on the book by L. Frank Baum, the man who gave us The Wizard of Oz. It's a charming tale about Claus’s life, from his early years to how he became immortal, presented in storytelling fashion by Artistic Director Gayle Stahlhuth, who has been praised by reviewers and audience alike for her portrayals of 30-plus roles in the telling of one tale. When ELTC last produced this one-person tour-de-force in 2010, it was designated an “American Masterpiece” as part of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Masterpieces Series.
Baum gave Claus an exciting life that evokes all the charm, warmth, and fantasy that made his "Oz" stories American classics. He took Claus out of his conventional trappings, and placed him into the world of folklore, complete with fairies, gnomes, and elves. In fact, it is because of Baum’s book, that Santa Claus is believed to have elves to help him.