'Growing Pains' Ico Alan Thicke Starring in Christmas Musical at the Cole Auditorium

The Cole Auditorium will present a special holiday musical, “The Toy Shoppe,” written by country music legend Kenny Rogers on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m.

Leading the cast of this family friendly Christmas show is “Growing Pains” and Hallmark Channel television star Alan Thicke.

While Rogers no longer tours with the show, he and producer/director Kelly Junkermann collaborated on the music and story for the original off-Broadway production. Rogers toured with the show for seven years, playing the role of Toy Shoppe owner Hank Longley, which Thicke is taking over for the first time this year.

“I know Alan is going to do a great job,” Rogers said in a recent phone interview. Rogers said the show with Thicke at the helm was getting standing ovations and receiving good reviews from some tough critics.

The production features characters like Hero the Dog, Cheeseball the Mouse and Bruno the Bear. Its storyline emphasizes love, faith and appreciation for the value of every individual.

“We were excited for the Cole Auditorium to be selected as a venue for this wonderful Christmas show as it kicks off its national tour for the holiday season,” Cole Director Joey Bennett said. “We encourage people to buy tickets early because the price will go up $5 on the day of the show.”

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Box Office at the Cole Auditorium, which is located on Richmond Community College’s main campus in Hamlet.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for Gold Circle seating, which includes the first five rows and a pre-show meet-and-greet with Thicke and the show cast. Special pricing is available for groups of 10 or more.

Box Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also call the Box Office at (910) 410-1691. Information is also available on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

“The Toy Shoppe” runs two hours with a 15-minute intermission.

For more information, visit Toy Shoppe Christmas Show.

“The Toy Shoppe” show is not part of the DeWitt Performing Arts Series.