Belles Are Ringing

Local theater companies large and small typically deck their halls with holiday fare around this time of year, including the umpteenth rerun of A Christmas Carol. But Bernie Cardell of Spotlight Theatre decided to buck the tried-and-true by picking Christmas Belles, a holiday comedy about three small-town Texas sisters putting together a Christmas pageant from hell.

“We’ve seen a lot of the same Christmas shows in Denver every year, and there’s nothing wrong with that; some people like to see those shows again and again. But I like to see something different,” Cardell says about his programming choice, an offering from the same playwrights — Jesse Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten — who wrote Dearly Departed, a popular hit for Spotlight a few years ago. “The holidays are a time for laughter. I think that’s important for people getting together with their families. Holidays can be wonderful, and sometimes they can be quite tough. Laughter brings people together.”

Start a new tradition and laugh at Christmas Belles with someone you love, beginning tonight at 7:30 p.m. and running through December 20 at the John Hand Theater, 7653 East First Place in Lowry; for tickets, $19 to $21, visit thisisspotlight.com or call 720-880-8727.

Thu., Nov. 20, 2 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Nov. 20. Continues through Dec. 20, 2014