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"I‘m both humbled and honoured that they asked me," he said. "Hopefully this show will become a holiday tradition in Waterloo." Connolly is looking forâ€" ward to being part of Theâ€" atre Athena‘s first holiday production. Adults will find themâ€" selves equally entertained with plenty of slapstick and double entendre. With the likes of Jack and Jill, demons and fairies, Mother Goose will take young and old alike on a wild adventure where audiâ€" ence members are encourâ€" aged to help the story along and boo the villains. Mother Goose, presented by Theatre Athena, is a tradiâ€" tional English pantomime that incorporates song, dance, buffoonery and audiâ€" ence participation And now â€" more than two decades later â€" David Connolly is returning to town to direct a holiday show, Mother Goose, at the Waterloo Entertainment Centre, a mere walk from both of his old schools. "This is the first time I‘ve come back to Waterloo proâ€" fessionally," said Connolly, who moved away from the city 18 years ago. "I‘m very excited." â€" He carried that passion into high school, appearing in many shows at Waterloo collegiate institute. Stage veteran returns to Waterloo in director‘s capacity Mother Goose Holiday show opens this Friday Since moving away from By Anorea Bamey Chronicle Staff L "Mother Goose "I knew that kind of career wasn‘t going to last forever, so I decided to purâ€" sue this avenue." "Acting has a shelf life," he explained. "You can only be an actor/singer/dancer for a limited time. In the last 10 years, howâ€" ever, Connolly discovered his interest in directing and choreographing shows, as opposed to performing in them. Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo, where he continued to cut his teeth in the performing arts with Project People, Kâ€"W Musical Productions and the Dutch Boy Drum and Bugle Corps, he attended Sheridan Colâ€" lege and was acting on Broadway by age 19. David Connolly brings his directing experience to the Water loo Entertainment Centre for the holiday show, Mother Goose. He made his television A Christmas Pantomime * December 14â€"January 6, 2007 www.waterlooentertainmentcentre.com * 24 King Street North ARTS FOCUS ORDER TODAY! Call 519â€"883â€"0300 He has also choreoâ€" graphed numbers for musiâ€" cal artists including Sarah Brightman (Canadian Launch of Harem), Patti LaBelle, k.d. lang, Eartha Kitt, Brandi, Jody Whatley, Deborah Cox, Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell, the band Chicago and Jennifer Holiâ€" day. mark by being the choreogâ€" rapher and one of the direcâ€" tors of three seasons of the CBC/Playhouse Disney Series The Doodlebops, as well as choreographer for both national Doodlebops Live! tours, their music videos and their upcoming appearance on the Disney World Christmas Special with Beyonce Knowles. But he said directing susmiTTED Proro For tickets or more inforâ€" mation, go to the box office, call 519â€"883â€"0300 or visit www.waterlooentertain â€" mentcentre.com. Tickets range from $43 â€" $64, or family pack of four for $150 (taxes included). Mother Goose opens Friâ€" day night and runs through Jan. 6, 2007 at the Waterloo Entertainment _ Centre, located at 24 King St. N. "I hope this show becomes a holiday tradition for families in Waterloo," he said. Connolly said he was "humbled and honoured" to be asked to direct Theatre Athena‘s first holiday proâ€" duction. Joining Connolly on the creative team is musical director Stephen Woodjets, set designer Allan Wilbee, costume designer Bonnie Deakin and lighting designâ€" er Laird MacDonald. The powerâ€"packed cast includes Stephanie Pitsiladis (Grease, Hairspray), Aaron Kyte (Disney‘s Aladdin Jr., You‘re A Good Man Charlie Brown}, Amelia Sirianni (Anne of Green Gables The Musical, Les Liaisons Danâ€" gereuses), Ari Weinberg (Honk!, Disney‘s Aladdin Jr.), Cara Leslie (Beauty and the Beast, _ The â€" Mikado), Matthew Boden (HAIR, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Shawn Wright (Lord of the Rings, Mama Mia), and Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo‘s own Silly People. "Nothing, to me, is more important than anything else that I‘ve done," Connolâ€" ly said. "As long as it‘s creâ€" ative, that‘s the most imporâ€" tant thing. My main (conâ€" cern) is collaborating with talented, enthusiastic peoâ€" ple, and the people working on Mother Goose are among the best." Mother Goose in front of what feels like a hometown audience ranks right up there with the more famous jobs he‘s done. , WaterlO0, ON N2J 2W7 _ entertainment céntre OW THIS SF A Tickets can be bought at the King Street Theatre Centre, by calling 519â€"571â€"0928 or visiting boxofâ€" fice@theatreandcompany.org. This play also coâ€"stars Mark McGrinder, a graduâ€" ate of the University of Waterloo, who contributed to UW‘s widely popular frosh play, Single and Sexy, and who has also played in two Second City shows: Mad Cows and Englishmen and Send in the Clones. McGrinder plays Jewish defense attorney Mr Solomon Rothschild. Starring Christopher Kelk in the title role and directed by Gil Garratt, associate artistic director of the Blyth Festival, adults and children alike can watch as Ebenezer Scrooge takes Jacob Marley and the three ghosts to court on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, breaking and entering, tresâ€" passing, stalking, slander, theft, pain and suffering and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Theatre & Company presents the family comedy The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, by Mark Brown, runâ€" ning to Dec. 31 at the King Street Theatre Centre in downtown Kitchener. Lost&Found Theatre artists Alan K. Sapp, Nicole Lee Quesnel, Sheehy, Andrew Lakin and Gary Kirkham will be onstage, alongside special guests the White Winter Jazz Quartet, featuring Peter DeSousa, André Clouthier, Andy Macpherson and Matthew Lima. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, and are available through the Centre in the Square at 519â€"578â€"1570 or at www.centreâ€" square.com. "Our holiday show is more like a gathering of friends," says Kathleen Sheehy. "It‘s warm, it‘s intiâ€" mate and it‘s a lot of fun." Works by Garrison Keillor, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Robert Service and others will be presented in the collective‘s inimitable style. The show runs this Friday and Saturday and Dec. 21 and 22, at 8 p.m. at Emmanuel United Church in Waterloo. Featured stories include Caroline‘s Christmas from Radio Leacock, which brought down the house at Lost&Found Theatre‘s launch at the School of Architecture in December 2004. Lost&Found Theatre brings to the stage its third annual holiday offering with A Lost & Found Christâ€" mas, an evening of stories, music and holiday mayâ€" hem. Ebenezer Scrooge has his day in court â€"and on stage stories, music and holiday mayhem Theatre group offers WATERLZT.O . _ and Your Tickets Will Arrive in Delightful Packaging for Easy & Memorable Gifting! Mother Goose