A holiday musical making its Colorado premiere this month brings an unexpected twist to seasonal theater. Picture Santa Claus traveling to Miami in the midst of a midlife crisis, where he finds wisdom from a Jewish middle school student, and romance with her grandmother.
"Miracle in Miami," opening at the Venue Theatre in Conifer on December 8, marks only the second production of playwright Dan Elish's work since its 1995 debut. The show follows Santa on his annual Florida golf vacation, where he meets a young Jewish girl who helps him navigate his doubts about returning to the North Pole.
"Santa is really burnt out on his job and has a cold," explained Elish. "It was really kind of the story of how Santa Claus meets Mrs. Claus, who's the Jewish girl's grandmother who's widowed. So it's kind of humorous and unexpected in that way."
Elish's career includes both theater and literature, with his most widely known theatrical success coming as co-bookwriter of the groundbreaking 2008 Broadway musical "13," featuring music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. The show, which included Ariana Grande, marked the first Broadway musical to feature a cast entirely of teenagers.
Much of his work has been geared toward youth casts in particular, making it a strong fit for Venue in particular. This is the second one of his musicals the company has put on.
The Venue Theatre production of Miracle in Miami” features an all-middle school cast, reflecting the theater's mission to provide arts education in mountain communities where school programs have faced cuts.
Producing Artistic Director Amy Dolan Fletcher founded the theater in 2013 to fill the growing gap she saw in the area.
"The arts for children, especially in a small community, are so important for their friends and their families to get to see them do something extraordinary," said Fletcher.
The show's cultural elements required special attention to detail. Director Marisa Versteegh partnered with local Jewish families to ensure authentic representation, particularly for scenes featuring a Shabbat dinner.
"I've been really trying to focus on them being able to tell their story," says Versteegh. "I even am having the mother of that family help set up the Shabbat table to try and make it as accurate as possible."
Sixth-grader Kiva Reinstein, who plays the lead role of Monica, sees the show's broader significance for audiences.
"I think it'll bring them joy,” said Renstein. “It doesn't really matter what faith they are, I think they'll just enjoy either way. And maybe if you're Jewish or Catholic, you can have some little traditions in both of them."
Reviving a 30-year-old musical required the production team to modernize certain elements of the script while maintaining its core message.
"There was a reference to a Kmart,” Versteegh explains, “and the kids were like, 'What's Kmart?' So we changed things like that to fit the language a little bit more in the modern world."
For the young performers, the show presents unique challenges. With no previous productions to reference, the middle school cast had to create their character interpretations from scratch.
"This particular show has been a unique experience," says Versteegh. "Because we're so used to that mimicking at this age. (But) there's nothing to mimic. There was a show done, but it's not our show. It's totally different."
The Venue Theater has become a cultural cornerstone in Conifer, serving over a hundred families with year-round programming. Beyond productions, they offer conservatory classes focused on theater skills and technical training. Fletcher emphasizes their "process over product" philosophy, noting that students "would get tremendous value if we never even made it to performance."
Playwright Elish will attend opening night, getting a chance to see this work performed for the first time in nearly three decades. The timing feels particularly relevant, offering a story of cross-cultural connection and understanding during the holiday season.
"Miracle in Miami" runs December 6 - 17 at the Venue Theater in Conifer. The production represents more than just holiday entertainment; it's a testament to youth theater's power to build community understanding and celebrate diverse traditions through storytelling.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story had the incorrect date for the start of the musical's run. It has been updated.
