Final Act Ensemble: Madcap Mix-ups (& More!) for the Holidays

Join the Final Act Ensemble (FAE) for old-time fun this holiday season.

FAE’s holiday show includes favorite radio couples Burns & Allen and Fibber McGee & Molly. Gracie Allen drives a tax auditor up the wall and out the window. Then Fibber McGee tries to outsmart a gangster and ends up outsmarting himself. The second half of the evening is traditional, holiday-themed including an episode of My Friend Irma in which Irma goes through crazy antics to earn money for Christmas presents. Will she end up in the black, or crash and burn? The performance includes holiday songs from the Golden Age of Radio. Get set for an evening of nostalgia and holiday cheer with the Final Act Ensemble!

The Final Act Ensemble is a troupe of performers ages 60 and older that present classic and original radio plays, including commercials and live and recorded sound effects.Click here to learn more about the Final Act Ensemble.

Performance Times:
7:00 PM
Run Time:
2 hours including a 10-minute intermission
Content Advisory:
The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical effects), please contact the ticket office at 515.277.6261.
Download Playbill

In the News

Interview, We Are Iowa, Dec. 12, 2023

Company

  • Ralph Bowman

  • Victoria Christian

  • Sound Effects

    Shirley Dalby

    Sound Effects

  • Al Downey

  • Ruth Downey

  • Sue Franck

  • Barbara Keck

  • Molly Ketchum

  • Vocal & Music Direction

    Elysa Koss

    Vocal & Music Direction

  • Ira Lacher

  • Hu Lundberg

  • RJ Lundgren

  • Music Direction / Rehearsal Pianist / Sound Effects

    Susie McCauley

    Music Direction / Rehearsal Pianist / Sound Effects

  • Mark Pullen

  • Rick Stageman

  • Marsha Szymczuk

  • Ed Truslow

  • Director

    Jerry Eisenhour

    Director
  • Accompanist

    Francine Griffith

    Accompanist

Press Release

Des Moines Community Playhouse
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kill Date: Dec. 12, 2023
Subject: Playhouse's Final Act Ensemble Presents Annual Holiday Show
Contact: Lee Ann Bakros, Playhouse Marketing & Public Relations Director, 515-974-5358

Celebrate with the Final Act Ensemble (FAE) radio troupe at their annual December performance, Madcap Mix-ups (& More) for the Holidays, 7:00 PM, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at The Des Moines Playhouse. Tickets are $10 for all ages and are available at dmplayhouse.com, by phone at 515.277.6261, or at The Playhouse ticket office.

FAE’s holiday show includes favorite radio couples Burns & Allen and Fibber McGee & Molly. Gracie Allen drives a tax auditor up the wall and out the window. Then Fibber McGee tries to outsmart a gangster and ends up outsmarting himself. The second half of the evening includes an episode of My Friend Irma in which Irma goes through crazy antics to earn money for Christmas presents. Will she end up in the black, or crash and burn? The performance includes holiday songs from the Golden Age of Radio. Get set for an evening of nostalgia and holiday cheer with the Final Act Ensemble!

The cast, under the direction of Jerry Eisenhour, features Ralph Bowman, Victoria Christian, Shirley Dalby, Al Downey, Ruth Downey, Sue Franck, Barbara Keck, Molly Ketchum, Elysa Koss, Ira Lacher, Hu Lundberg, R.J. Lundgren, Susie McCauley, Mark Pullen, Rick Stageman, Marsha Szymczuk, Ed Truslow, and accompanist Francine Griffith.

The Final Act Ensemble is a troupe of performers ages 60 and older that present classic and original radio plays, including commercials, along with live and recorded sound effects. In addition to performances at The Playhouse, traveling programs are available for youth, adult, and multi-generational audiences.

The Playhouse mission, as one of Iowa's largest and oldest producing theatres, is to create extraordinary, shared experiences through live theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For up-to-date information and general guidelines, visit The Playhouse website at dmplayhouse.com or contact The Playhouse at 515.974.5354.

Final Act Ensemble Holiday Show Performance: 7:00 PM, Dec. 12, 2023
$10 all ages
To purchase tickets: dmplayhouse.com, 515.277.6261
Des Moines Community Playhouse, 831 42nd St., Des Moines, IA 50312

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