The Legend of Toyland set for 29th year

PHIL CAMPBELL – Northwest Shoals Community College will celebrate its 29th production of The Legend of Toyland with performances beginning Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the gymnasium at the Phil Campbell campus.

While the production has taken flight here in Franklin County, The Legend of Toyland creator and director Lanny McAlister said that he first got the idea for the production when he was teaching at Gordon Military in Barnesville, Ga., over 30 years ago.

“I always wanted to try something with Disney characters so that’s where the idea really started,” McAlister said. “That first year, the production was only a portion of the school’s choral Christmas concert and it was very short. It didn’t become an actual production until I began teaching here at Northwest.”

Even though McAlister had a larger area to work with and extra resources at NWSCC, the show was still relatively small.

“When we first did the performance here at Northwest, we only performed the show on the stage; obviously that has changed now,” he said.

Now the performers in The Legend of Toyland utilize the stage, the gym floor and even come into the stands to interact with the audience. The production has grown over its 32 years from a mere idea into a holiday theatrical show that attracts over 10,000 people annually.

“We have worked very hard every year to make this production great,” McAlister said, “and this community has just adopted it and embraced it.”

After 30 years of being involved with Toyland, McAlister said it should probably be time to hang up his hat but he’s not quite ready to completely step away.

“I still love this show and I love working with the kids who perform in it every year,” McAlister said. “There are around 100 kids who participate in Toyland and most of them I wouldn’t have ever known otherwise. We all become very close and the camaraderie makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

McAlister still serves as the director of the production but he also has help from his brother, Jeff McAlister, who serves as the assistant director; and his daughter, Jennifer Lowery, who serves as the production assistant.

“This will be the third year that my daughter, Jennifer, has served as the production assistant,” McAlister said. “She has basically done everything a person can do for this show and she has done a great job.”

Putting on a performance that people come to see year after year takes months of preparation and dedication, which McAlister said that each performer has to have.

“We’ve been working on this year’s show since October,” he said. “We have professional tech and lighting crews, choreographers and hours of rehearsals to get everything ready for the performance.”

While the plot of The Legend of Toyland has remained the same over the years, the different segments that are featured have changed from time to time.

“Each year I try to faze something out and add something new in its place but people don’t like for the show to change,” McAlister said. “It’s been around long enough that people get used to certain things and are sad to see them go.”

He said that segments like The Wiz and the heavy dance numbers that take a lot of practice are the ones that he enjoys the most because they are fun to rehearse and the crowds enjoy them.

Even though The Legend of Toyland has become a holiday staple serving to entertain thousands of people, McAlister said that it’s an important production in other ways as well.

“This show influences the kids that perform in it,” he said. “You can see their confidence grow with each rehearsal and that’s something they’ll take with them the rest of their lives.”

Russellville resident Chase Gilmer will be performing in Toyland for a second time this year and he said that his decision to participate in the production again was based on the positive experience he had last year.

“I met so many people last year that I probably wouldn’t have ever met if I hadn’t been in the show,” Gilmer said. “Some of the best friends I’ve ever had I met doing Toyland, and these are friends I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

First-time performer Katie Goddard said she initially signed up to participate in Toyland for her 2-year-old son, but she’s come to enjoy the experience itself.

“I have had so much fun being a part of this show,” Goddard said. “I’ve enjoyed rehearsing my part as Oscar the Grouch and being pulled around in a trashcan, but I’ve also enjoyed meeting the people that I rehearse with. It’s been fun.”

Gilmer added that the direction and leadership of the show make it worth participating in for a second time as well.

“There is never a dull moment with Lanny and Jeff in charge,” he said. “We work really hard but they make it fun and it ends up being a show that everyone can enjoy.”

This year’s performances will be on Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets for public performances are $8.00 and are available at the NWSCC Phil Campbell campus bookstore or can be reserved with a credit card by calling (256) 331-6382.

According to McAlister, each show is usually a sell out, especially in recent years, so individuals are urged to purchase their tickets in advance. Any remaining tickets may be

purchased at the door prior to each performance.