Solomon Tells the Fable Santa Claus Is Coming Out, Starting Nov. 29 in NYC

By Kenneth Jones
November 29, 2009

Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a new comedy by writer-performer Jeffrey Solomon, gets an Off-Broadway run by Diverse City Theater Company, Penguin Rep Theatre and Shotgun Productions, Nov. 29-Dec. 20.

Joe Brancato (Cobb, Tryst) will direct the solo-show satire at Theatre Row's Kirk Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street.

According to the producers, "Developed at Penguin Rep Theatre, Santa Claus Is Coming Out, a theatrical mock-u-mentary, is about the worldwide scandal surrounding the outing of Santa Claus. Writer-performer Jeffrey Solomon traces the intensely personal struggle of the great holiday icon, as he tries to reconcile his love relationship with Italian toy maker Giovanni Geppetto with his passion for giving to the world's children."

Santa Claus Is Coming Out features such characters as Sidney Green, the "little Jew who saved Christmas"; nine year-old Gary, who asks Santa for a Sparkle Dream Princess doll; Mary Ellen, who evokes a 21st century Anita Bryant; Rudolph, elves, and many others.

Solomon said in a statement, "The show plays out against the backdrop of the latest salvo in America's Culture Wars: the debate on providing gay role models to children. It was inspired by my research into the parents’ rights movement to keep gay issues out of the classroom."

Solomon is the recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor for his solo show, MotherSON. The show also won Audience Favorite, Best Playwriting and Best Male Solo Performer at the National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival. For Santa Claus Is Coming Out, he also won the Best of the National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival award. As a writer, Solomon wrote the pilot for Jim Henson's "CityKids," which received an Emmy nomination for Best Children's Special and an Ollie Award for Excellence in Children's Programming. He was staff writer for Carsey-Werner/ABC TV, Tri-Star/Fox, and Nickolodeon. In addition, he penned a "CityKids" novelization for young adults published by Random House. He is the co-artistic director of Houses on the Moon Theater Co. For more information, visit www.jeffsolo.com.

Director Brancato is the artistic director and founder of Penguin Rep Theatre. In a long list of titles, he directed Karoline Leach's Tryst (Outer Critics Nominee, Best Play) starring Maxwell Caulfield at the Promenade Theatre; and Lee Blessing's Cobb (Drama Desk winner) produced by Kevin Spacey and Melting Pot at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and co-produced by Spacey and Garry Marshall in Los Angeles.

Opening night of Santa Claus Is Coming Out Dec. 3.

The production stage manager is Zachary Spitzer. The production team includes set designer Michael Schweikardt; lighting designer Jeff Croiter; costume designer Arnulfo Maldonado; sound designer Jill C. DuBoff.

Tickets are $45 and can be purchased via ticketcentral.com or (212) 279-4200.