Dickens of a Christmas: Theater in the Mansion at Mount Hope Estate & Winery

How do you get into the Christmas spirit? Surround yourself with holiday cheer, of course! My good friend B and I ventured out to the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, where we were invited to the Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Party at Mount Hope's Theater in the Mansion: Mount Hope Estate & Winery’s 29th annual production of “Dickens of a Christmas.” This production is running through Sunday, December 23.

 

We tried something new this year- they are offering dinner before the show! We enjoyed soup and salad, roasted red bliss potatoes and green beans, Atlantic salmon, pork loin, chicken Cordon Bleu with rolls and beverages. This buffet was excellent. Wonderfully fresh, seasoned and delicious, having dinner before the show is a perfect option to the evening.

 

 

 

Dinner is offered in the Swashbuckler Pub which was comfortable, warm and decorated for Christmas. We truly enjoyed our dinner, and with the buffet, you could have as much as you wished. For dessert, B and I enjoyed coffee and apple cobbler and chocolate cake. Plus, you can interact with some of your favorite characters from the show!

 

After dinner, we strolled across the grounds to the Mansion, which was beautifully lit up: bright lights on trees, the mansion with a soft glow of candlelight, and the sound of Christmas carols in the air. Upon being greeted by some revelers, we wandered into the bar area to have a drink and relax. I had some hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows and a big candy cane in it -that was delicious! This too was all lit up and the whole mansion was glowing, with a real feel of the holidays in its Victorian décor. The entire group was then split up into 3 groups into the Ballroom, the Dining Room or the Chapel to hear the Fezziwig attendees spin their Christmas magic for you.

 

We assisted the super-enthusiastic Mrs. Fezziwig and her saucy-but-sad daughter Belle to find a potential husband, since Ebeneezer Scrooge has chosen money over Belle in Belle’s Dating Game and at Christmas, no one should be alone!

 

A Different Christmas Carol had Charles Dickens and Mr. Fezziwig portray multiple characters to tell the original story with a few twists, and with help from the audience, the story was told in a way I have never heard it. B got pulled up on stage and got to bust out his acting chops, and the audience truly loved his departure from the usual lines he was given to say with a few lines of his own…

We rounded out the night with a quiet and serious rendition of The Gift of the Magi as told to us by Martha Cratchit. She was a wonderful storyteller and her quiet tones really gave pause to think over what is truly important in this world, not so much the gift but rather why you are giving it and the manner in which you give.

 

This was a wonderful night full of Christmas cheer and reflection and is great for friends, families or couples to attend. Afterwards, we headed into the wine shop to taste some wines and purchase a few. Try the sangria (my mom’s favorite) or the blackberry (B’s favorite). I especially like to mix the Holiday Wine and the Spiced Apple Wine together and drink it warm (my favorite!). Delightful!

This event is always one to get me into the Christmas spirit and begin the passage of the holidays. I wish you and yours a very merry one!

 

Tickets can be purchased through the Virtual Box Office at PaRenFaire.com or by calling the Box Office at (717) 665- 7021. Mount Hope Estate & Winery, placed on the National Register of Historical Places by the United States Government, is located on Route 72 ½ mile south of Turnpike exit 266, 15 miles north of Lancaster and 14 miles east of Hershey.

Special thanks to Marketing Manager Candace Smith!! As always, a pleasure.

Engchik is going to get into the holiday spirit or else! You can send her some Christmas cheer at engchik@me.com or on FaceBook or Twitter under engchik.

 

Dates, Times & Pricing at Dickens of a Christmas
Performances of Dickens of a Christmas are available mid-week or on the weekend. All shows can be upgraded to a Dinner and Show or Lunch and Show package, which includes an all you can eat buffet before the performance. Visit the Lunch and Show and Dinner and Show pages for menus. Performances run approximately 2 hours.

Lunch and Show performances - Adult $31.95 • Child $19.95
Dinner and Show performances - Adult $42.95 • Child $33.95
Midweek performances (Show Only) - Adult $16.95 • Child $9.95
Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances (Show Only) - Adult $18.95 • Child $9.95
Have a group of 15 or more? Click here for our group rates!