IT will be a lengthy Christmas at Liverpool's Empire Theatre this season, with the festivities spread across December and January featuring two musicals. It opened on December 15 with Santa Claus the Musical and ends on January 27 with Leslie Bricusse's Scrooge, based on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Santa Claus, by British songwriter Anthony England, is said to be the most spectacular Christmas production staged at the theatre. It has been produced by the same people behind the theatre's current musical success, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the biggest, most technical show seen at the Empire. Spokesman Bill Elms said: 'Santa Claus was staged for the first time in Southampton last year and was a big success. 'It is one of those shows with magical effects and spectacular scenes which audiences just love.' The story revolves around a child whose Christmas wish every year is for a father, as hers has died. Santa decides to bring her and her mother to the North Pole but disaster strikes when he and the reindeers go down with flu. It is left to chief elf Joe and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to make the trip. Meanwhile, a wicked Ice Queen does her best to disrupt activities at the North Pole and ruin Christmas. The show features tap-dancing penguins, dancing polar bears and a live 12-piece orchestra. The original musical has been written by Anthony England, for a while a member of the pop group Sailor who left to pursue a career as a musical director and writer. Basing the show on a book by Roger S. Moss, he wrote the lyrics, music and orchestrations and serves as music director. The role of Santa has gone to former Coronation Street actor Roy Barraclough, who first played the part at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton. Corrie colleague Susie Blake is playing the Ice Queen, while Liverpool actor/ singer Danny McCall, a one-time Brookside star, is playing Joe the chief elf. Louise Plowright is Rudolph. The show will run until January 7. Scrooge, a production from Liverpool producer and Everton FC chairman Bill Kenwright, starring Michael Barrymore in the title role, will run from January 22-27. | 
