Lyn Belzer, Andy Meyers, John Scamardella as the Mountain Demons

SUNDOG THEATRE AND DRAMATUNE PRESENT CHILDREN’S MUSICAL PREMIERE TO PLAY STATEN ISLAND CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

December 2003, Staten Island, NY.   Sundog Theatre and Dramatune present an original children’s Christmas musical, Santa Claus is Missing, in December at the Staten Island Children’s Museum. Santa will also play at the Cromwell Center, Goodhue Children’s Aid Society, and several area churches. The show is an adaptation of a story by L. Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz).

Santa Claus is Missing is about a laughable trio of mountain demons who kidnap Santa as he prepares to deliver children’s toys on Christmas Eve. Santa’s friends the elves, reindeer, Fairy Queen, and especially the children in the audience, work together to rescue our bearded hero. The show is geared to children of all ages who believe in the wonder of Christmas.

Playwright/director Morna Murphy and composer/lyricist Ralph Martell, both Staten Island residents, have written seven full-length musicals that have been produced in either New York or Hollywood. The team wrote Santa Claus is Missing specifically for Sundog’s 2003-2004 winter season.

Ms. Murphy received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant for Only a Woman, about the early women’s rights movement and she also directs Instant Shakespeare plays in Manhattan. Mr. Martell has been honored with American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awards for all of the mentioned musicals. Although Mr. Martell wrote and produced Aesop’s Fables in Song, a recording for children, Santa Claus is Missing is the first Murphy/Martell stage musical for children.

“This is our first children’s presentation,” states Susan Fenley, artistic director for Sundog Theatre. “We love to collaborate with other Island artists and Ralph and Morna are a talented team. One of our goals is to present theatre for young people on Staten Island, so we may make these holiday presentations a regular function.”