In 1969, an American family may have had little to celebrate at Christmas with a son in Vietnam and father unemployed. But there was always "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on the TV to remind them what the holiday time is about.

In A Charlie Brown Commercial Christmas, closing Dec. 30, the aforementioned family, falling apart at the seams, gathers in front of the television to watch Charlie Brown learn the true meaning of Christmas. They reveal their stories as the Charles Shultz cartoon plays out live on stage, interspersed with classic TV commercials.

Rick Sparks directs. In 2000, he was nominated for L.A. Weekly's Theater Awards Best Director of Comedy for the popular comedy, Down South. Other director/choreographer credits include Psycho Beach Party, Highballs Ahoy! and Tallulah.

Performances began Nov. 16. Tickets are $12-$18. The Greenway Court Theatre is located at 544 North Fairfax Avenue. For reservations, call (323) 655-4402.

— By Christine Ehren