Jinglebell Rock

Dec. 7, 2005

Christmas shows are as American as apple pie and ice cream. Every town worth its salt has one and rave reviews usually drive the revue’s success, one satisfied customer at a time.
Holiday extravaganzas are the sugar-dusted prozac for the season -- a mood elevator that adds a shot of sparkle to the dawn of winter -- dancin’, singin’, leggy lasses, lusty lads, blazing costumes of crimson & gold... if you’ve never been, you really should go.
Dominic Fortuna aims to let those good times roll with his show, “A Christmas in Time,” which is playing Wednesday through Saturday at The Williamsburg Showcase Dinner Theater. The show is a follow-up to his pop-through-the-decades revue, “The Way We Were,” which raked in the crowds throughout the summer an fall.
Fortuna has a resume longer than Santa’s string of reindeer. An alumni of the Young Americans, he’s played the lead in “Grease,” performed at Disneyworld, on TV, and on stages across the country. He’s also performed at numerous festivals and nightspots across Northern Michigan and has shared the stage with the likes of Dean Martin, Barry Manilow and Joe Piscopo, to name a few. As a singer, Fortuna can handle just about any genre you can imagine and his enthusiasm goes well beyond showbiz polish: at the smallest club or country festival you’ll find him delivering a full 500 watts, having the time of his life.
It’s that kind of leadership that gives The Williamsburg shows their kick. The young cast members are either college students or entertainment pros on their way up. They include assistant producer Ashley Moeggenberg, Mary Moncel, Sara Findley, Travis Goode, Willy Jam, Andy Trego and Brad Novak with Dominic heading up the show as producer.
Spontaneity is encouraged as the cast mingles with the audience. “Sometimes the best thing that can happen in a show is when it’s unpredictable,” Fortuna notes. “You go down into the audience and hand someone a mic and tell them to go for it. That can produce a lot of good moments.”
What’s the current show about?
“It’s a real family show with a lot of audience participation,” Fortuna says. “We travel through the decades of Christmas from the 1940s through the ‘70s and touch a bit on the ‘80s too. We’ve got holiday hits along with the Christmas classics people love to hear.”
Each show is preceded by a dinner served by the entertainers. Dinner is catered by Kelly’s, headed by well-known area restaurateur Dan Kelly. A salad of spring greens, almonds and dried cherries precedes a variety of entrees including herb-crusted beef tenderloin, scallops & shrimp-stuffed salmon, roasted duck confit, and bow tie pasta with wild mushroom ragu and asiago cheese. Dessert is a chocolate mousse cup with raspberry coulis and white chocolate, and of course there’s coffee, tea and French dinner rolls as well as a full bar.
“People are always surprised by the quality of the food,” Fortuna says. “And you can get a great bottle of wine or a martini with your dinner. It’s a great thing to do for your family, friends or employees for Christmas. It’s like the Rockettes at the Fox Theatre -- something you can enjoy every year.”

Tickets for “A Christmas in Time” are $43.95, which includes dinner. Doors open at 6 p.m., with seating for the show at 7. The Williamsburg is located at 4230 East M-72 across from the Grand Traverse Resort, ph. 231-938-2181. Details: www.conventiondinnertheater.com