Candy Cane Kids by Barbara Mitchell & Bobby Stagg

When Christmas spirit across Canada drops to critical levels, McJingle’s top Quality Control Inspectors, Cookie, Stripe and Pep, are given just one hour to turn things around. Suspecting the dreaded Humbugs are behind the cheer crisis, the cheery trio launch a live broadcast on their social platform, Jinglegram, in a high-energy, song-filled mission to raise Christmas across Canada. The McJingle's team sing, dance, bake and cheer on Canada! Told in real time over ninety minutes, the story unfolds moment by moment, heightening the urgency, comedy, and excitement as Cookie, Stripe, Pep, and the McJingle's team race against the clock to rescue Christmas spirit. Candy Cane Kids is for the kid in all of us at Christmas! Candy Cane Kids took centre stage at Calgary’s Bella Concert Hall (Taylor Centre) on December 4, 2021, and was featured in the Calgary Herald as part of the city’s holiday programming. Highlights & Recognition: Official Selection, Toronto Independent Film Festival of CIFT – Women in Film (2021) CRTC Certified Canadian Program Nominated for Best Family Musical Soundtrack, Calgary Music Awards Featured in the Calgary Herald as part of Calgary’s holiday arts programming Presented at Calgary Teachers' Conventions - Canadian Content Keywords: Christmas, Holiday spirit, family focused, teamwork, Canadian content, family, individuality, problem solving, Pantomime, Spirit, Traditions, Comedy, Canadian Geography, social media Genre: Musical, Theatre for Young Audiences Acts: 1 Run time: 90 minutes Content notes: While rooted in a Canadian setting, the musical has been designed with flexibility in mind, allowing productions to adapt references, locations, and community elements to suit their own country and audience. Cast size: 9 - 20 actors Male roles: 2 Female roles: 4 Other roles: 3 Casting notes: The core ensemble includes Pep (male), Cookie (female), Stripe (female), Mrs. Snooze (female), Holly Berry (female), and Eddie (male), with the Humbugs functioning as a flexible ensemble (originally three performers but expandable as desired). While certain characters are written with traditional gender identifiers, the production welcomes inclusive and imaginative casting. Roles may be adapted to reflect the diversity of the producing community, and select parts may be doubled depending on artistic vision and company size. While no roles are explicitly written as trans or non-binary, the production welcomes inclusive and imaginative casting at the discretion of the producing company. Choreography is intended to be flexible and expandable, allowing producers to incorporate additional dancers and imaginative staging to enhance the energy, movement, and festive spirit of the production. Helpful Links: Candy Cane Kids website Online Music demo Costume Images from Past Shows Set Design All music tracks have been professionally engineered. Scores and music tracks available for an extra fee to producers upon securing performance rights.