Three Little Bakers
Three Little Bakers - In The News
REVIEW: 3LB's 'Home for the Holidays' thrives in new venue
By JEFF MURPHY, Special to The News Journal
Theatergoers who prefer their dinner and a show to occur at the same place must miss the region's Three Little Bakers Dinner Theatre, with its decadent array of desserts and its high-kicking musical revues, especially around the holidays.
The buffet may be closed at their former digs in Pike Creek but for the Bakers--a family-run entertainment staple with show-business in their blood-the show must go on.
The company brings their annual Christmas song and dance celebration, this year called "Home for the Holidays," to Wilmington's baby grand theater. With the move, the show feels more measured, theatrical and less like a variety show than in prior years.
Gone is the episodic "category" approach to the songs they often used, the interlude with the guest trained dogs or chunking the action into thematic parcels. This yields a quite focused product that, while still light and cute, allows for more emphasis on the songs and the performances.
The scene is a large, warm and inviting living room where Tom Burke and Vicky Saunders play the husband and wife hosts to friends and family for an extended holiday gathering. The party begins with "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as the many guests arrive with gifts and holiday treats.
Michael Brooks establishes himself early with an assured voice during "Sleigh Ride" where the cast of more than a dozen create a human sled. When it's time for bed, the children's dreams of sugar plums, toy soldiers and dancing bears come alive to the music of Tchaikovsky and Victor Herbert.
For the racy "Santa Baby," Tiffany Christopher entices as she runs down her lengthy wish-list for 8 tap-dancing Santas who "hurry down the chimney" one by one.
The partiers re-convene, in tuxedos and colorful ball gowns, in the second act opening with "The Christmas Waltz" in a carefully orchestrated dance routine. Rick Fountas and Kerry Cain shine during the melancholy "It Must Have Been the Mistletoe" backed up competently by the entire company.
Director James J. Weber starts off with big production numbers but settles comfortably into an approach that varies the show's overall pace, pitch and style.
Before intermission, the carefully chosen tunes, such as "The Christmas Song" and "Christmas Dreams" get full-length traditional treatments in Weber's pre-recorded arrangements that include tricky key changes.
After the break, he uses snippets or medleys along with a noticeable jazz/swing feel ("Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow").
A breezy tone for used for some throwaway numbers like the kid's "That's What I Want for Christmas" and "The Chipmunk Song." Tim Moudy and the other men don cowboy hats for the silliness of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" after a brief nod to Hanukkah during "The Dreidle Song."
Before the finale and "White Christmas" is a Living Nativity that rejoices in telling the story of Christ's birth through traditional carols and Bible passages.
The dance numbers, arranged by choreographer Saunders, are graceful and intimate for the paired-off couples. Lifts and polished twirls figure highly for the main dancers Brooks and Christopher. The small army of tin soldiers dazzle as they are put through their military paces but the music wants to be much bigger during this segment.
The set is homey, attractive and takes up most of the wide stage. A fireplace sits stage right, a huge window upstage and a big ball of mistletoe over the front entrance.
For act two a huge and perfectly trimmed tree appears, along with stockings on the mantel, which could only have been made more festive with gifts around its base.
A few surprises not mentioned here make the production feel like a "Best of the Bakers" in that it pulls back a bit on the extravagance and spectacle--however impressive the costumes are-- in favor of letting the songs work their magic.
The performers, most of whom have years of stage experience, are gleefully committed to "building new memories" and helping "holiday dreams come true."
Some annual holiday traditions are hard to change once a family starts practicing them.
It's fortunate for the city that, as Christmas time approached, the Bakers felt like a couple of wistful empty nesters still hanging stockings for kids that long ago flew the coop.
Mayor Baker Announces Three Little Bakers Returning Home To Wilmington For The Holidays
Three Little Bakers and Weber-Prianti Productions to stage popular Holiday show at Wilmington's baby grand; Show marks the return of the Immediato family to Wilmington — original home of the Three Little Bakers' business.
Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker, joined by Hugo Immediato, Sr. and Nick Immediato—the two surviving members of the Three Little Bakers/Acromaniacs—announced today that the Three Little Bakers are returning home to Wilmington for the holidays. Three Little Bakers' popular holiday show, "Home for the Holidays," will be staged at Downtown Wilmington's live at the baby grand from November 23 through December 30.
“Downtown Wilmington is thrilled to welcome Three Little Bakers home,” said Mayor Baker. “This wonderful opportunity not only adds to the exciting entertainment options available in our City, but gives us the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of one of our great original Italian families—the Immediatos—who have entertained generations of Wilmingtonians, Delawareans, and beyond. I thank Hugo Sr., Nick, and the entire Three Little Bakers family for their contribution to our City's and our region's history, and I look forward to their continued success right here in Downtown Wilmington's live at the baby grand.”
Wilmington was the original home of the Three Little Bakers' family business. Most recently known for their Dinner Theatre in Pike Creek, the Immediato family closed that location in March of 2007.
Weber-Prianti Productions, the theatrical partner of the Three Little Bakers organization, will produce “Home for the Holidays” beginning Friday, November 23, and running Thursdays through Sunday until December 30. “Home for the Holidays” is based on the very first revue format show created by Weber-Prianti for the Three Little Bakers in 1990 called “That Holiday Feelin'.” This holiday revue features over 20 classic songs set in an old Victorian home where a theatrical family hosts a weekend get-together to celebrate the holidays.
Aside from the performance, a visit from Santa Claus will be part of the festivities. Also, a large display of Three Little Bakers memorabilia will be displayed in the Lobby of live at the baby grand in celebration of the organization's return to Wilmington.
Evening performances of “Home for the Holidays” will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and matinees performances will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays. Cost of the show is $35.00 for adults, $30.00 for senior citizens, and $25.00 for children under the age of 12. Discount group sales are also available for parties of 10 or more; for more information, contact The Grand's Group Sales Manager Dan Sanchez at 658-7897.
Tickets go on sale to the general public September 7, and can be purchased through the Grand Box Office by calling 652-5577, or 1-800-37-GRAND, or online at www.grandopera.org. Tickets can also be purchased in person during Box Office Hours.
“The Grand is very happy to provide a home to the Three Little Bakers' Christmas celebration,” said Steve Bailey, Executive Director of The Grand Opera House. “The show has become a tradition for so many people for so many years. Having the Three Little Bakers downtown generates even more excitement for all the positive initiatives taking place in the City of Wilmington.”
To celebrate the return of the Three Little Bakers to Wilmington, several Downtown restaurants are developing special promotions to all ticket holders, including Costa's, The Exchange, and 821, among others. The special will vary from restaurant to restaurant, but might include a discount or a free desert when diners produce a ticket stub to “Home for the Holidays.”
“Weber-Prianti Productions is pleased to help continue the legacy of Three Little Bakers in this new theatrical venture at live at the baby grand” said Jim Weber, producer and director. “Having produced their Broadway season for the past 29 years, Gary Prianti and I look forward to bringing "Home for the Holidays" to downtown Wilmington. I created this show in 1990 in an effort to provide a revue format production to our holiday audience; 17 years later, it still remains a favorite of bus tour and local patrons.”
Although the two surviving members of the Three Little Bakers—Hugo Immediato, Sr. and Nick Immediato—are retired, Hugo's daughter Vicki Immediato-Winton and son-in-law Bob Winton are carrying on the family's entertainment legacy.
"It is an incredibly rewarding feeling to be the vehicle to take Three Little Bakers back home to the city of Wilmington where my father and his brothers were born and raised,” said Vicki Winton, daughter of Hugo Immediato, Sr. “The legacy of the Three Little Bakers in the baking and entertainment industry began 63 years ago. When we closed our doors in Pike Creek Valley a new door opened in the city of Wilmington—the baby grand. The folks in The Grand have the same passion, tradition, success and determination to continue doing outstanding live theatre on their stages. My father has told me more than once, ‘You need to be at the right place at the right time, which has been a large part of our successes.' We believe we are there.”
“My brothers, Al, Nick and I always wanted to share our love of entertainment with our community,” said Hugo Immediato, Sr. “To see our legacy continue has been our dream. We are pleased to take the stage at the baby grand at The Grand Opera House. We began our careers tumbling in the parks of Wilmington. As young men we became professional acrobats and our career took us all the way to the Paramount Theatre in New York. We returned to Wilmington and opened our bakery business while raising families and taking the stage whenever we could. Eventually we combined all of our talents and began our dinner theatre and enjoyed taking center stage for 35 years with our families. We began in Wilmington, and we are happy to be back.”
Important Information
Three Little Bakers Dinner Theatre closed its banquet and theatre operations in early 2007.
The Pike Creek Valley location will not reopen. If you have questions please contact Vicki Immediato-
Winton.
Three Little Bakers Golf Course & Country Club
is still operating and accepting both annual memberships and public rounds.
To book a tee time or if you need more information, please contact our golf pro, Richard W. Matthias at (302) 737-1877.