Tartaglia pens the family holiday event to take place Dec. 17 at 5 and 8 PM at Off Broadway's Little Shubert Theater. Donna Drake directs and choreographs with Michael Patrick Walker as musical director. Proceeds will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS.  

Johnny and the Sprites Live – A Magical Holiday is billed as "a holiday-themed evening of songs and scenes featuring faces familiar to fans of the popular TV show," according to an announcement. Tartaglia will be on stage with his "Sprites" (puppets) Basil, Ginger, Lily and Root and "special guest stars from the worlds of Broadway, TV, and film."

Composer Schwartz (Wicked), who penned "Brightly Shining" for the show's holiday episode, will perform the song with the cast.

Tartaglia made his Broadway debut in Avenue Q (earning a Tony Award nomination for his work) and returned to Broadway to play Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. He has also appeared on stage in concert versions of Children of Eden and Hair as well as Carnival for City Center Encores!

The live-action "Johnny and the Sprites" is set in "a beautiful, enchanted world of whimsy where Johnny and his friends, the Sprites: Ginger, Basil, Lily and Root, sing, have fun and learn valuable life lessons about getting along together, solving problems and respecting the world around them," as show notes explain. The series has featured music from some of the theatre world's most celebrated songwriters including Schwartz, Gary Adler (Altar Boyz), Mark Hollmann (Urinetown), Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q), Michael Patrick Walker (Altar Boyz), Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman (I Love You Because) and the cabaret duo of Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler. Tony Award winner Sutton Foster has appeared on the show.

Tickets ($65) to Johnny and the Sprites Live – A Magical Holiday at the Little Shubert, 422 West 42nd Street, are available through broadwaycares.org.