Christmas Performances

The night after Thanksgiving, four teens play a prank on their small town, taking animal statues for the Christmas crèche from a local church and displaying them in various public places—but their joke has consequences. The teens are arrested and sentenced to community service at a senior home where the residents are all retired circus performers. The kids are to clean out the attic, garage and storage building, where they discover old circus artifacts and antiques. They must also help the seniors prepare for their annual Christmas caroling at the VFW Post and performance of a play at a ...

A Signature Performance: Tim Curry rescues Charles Dickens from the jaws of Disney with his one-of-a-kind performance of the treasured classic. Our listeners loved this version so much that it inspired our whole line of Signature Classics.

I thought I had my life all figured out—a successful career and a nice apartment in the city. But as I walk the charming streets of my hometown, Spruce Crossing, I realize that there’s more to life than big paychecks. When I learn that the beloved Starlight Theater is in danger of being torn down, I find myself unexpectedly leading the charge to save it. Alongside Lincoln, the handsome and kindhearted local handyman, I pour my heart into preserving this piece of our town's history. As we work together, I'm drawn to his quiet strength, his unwavering commitment, and the way he sees the ...

Professor and cultural historian Michael Keane reveals much in this nostalgia-inducing book packed with original research and interviews. Keane compellingly shows that the ultimate broadcast of the Christmas special—given its incredibly tight five-month production schedule and the decidedly unfavorable reception it received by the skeptical network executives who first screened it—was nothing short of a miracle. Keane explains why the show, despite its technical shortcomings, has become an uplifting and enduring triumph embraced by millions of families every Christmas season.

From Lewis Black, the uproarious and perpetually apoplectic New York Times best-selling author and Daily Show regular, comes a ferociously funny book about his least favorite holiday, Christmas.

Read by Juliet Stevenson and Simon Callow, A Literary Christmas is a seasonal anthology that collects together poems, short stories, and prose extracts by some of the greatest poets and writers in the English language. Like Charles Dickens’ ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they are representative of times old and new - from John Donne’s Elizabethan hymn over the baby Jesus to Rudyard Kipling’s "Christmas in India", from Thomas Tusser counting the cost of a Tudor feast to Laurie Lee’s "Cider with Rosie".

In today’s world, it seems like it is becoming ever more important to figure out how to laugh. Society today seems always to be so serious and doesn’t make time for the most important things - like laughing with your friends and family over a few good jokes. So make your life more enjoyable and dive into jokes you haven’t heard of before!

Audiobook includes a special foreword on "Jerry Seinfeld, Jean Shepherd, and Compassionate Humor," by the author-narrator. For the first time, author Quentin Schultze, who taught storytelling with screenwriter Jean Shepherd, reveals the “secret” parables that Shepherd included in his screenplay for A Christmas Story. Now you won't need a decoder ring to learn why the Old Man’s leg lamp is his “trophy wife,” why the bully is named “Scut,” why there is a “Bumpus” in all of us, why Mom and the kids give a “Bronx cheer” after singing “Jingle Bells” in the Olds, and so much more.

Charles Dickens was 31 and the author of six major works when he became outraged by the working conditions of children. With the hope that he could move more readers to action, he wrote A Christmas Carol in 6 weeks. But even with a sold-out publishing run, the funds available were insufficient now that his wife was pregnant with their fifth child. Dickens loved the theatre and took to reading A Christmas Carol to audiences. The novella soon gained fame, and millions of copies have been sold making the phrase “Merry Christmas” universal. Note from the author: “About twenty years ago, ...

Fifty years ago, a little boy was cast in a movie with some of Hollywood's brightest stars. The movie: It's a Wonderful Life; the boy: Jimmy Hawkins; today, he tells his story. Through personal recollection, careful research, and interviews with cast and crew, actor Jimmy Hawkins, who played four-year-old Tommy Bailey, takes you behind the scenes for a first-hand look at the American movie classic It's a Wonderful Life.

Classic Christmas songs are sung by children, for children, in this festive holiday book perfect for young singers. From the fun arrangement of “Jingle Bells,” to the traditional sweet-sound song “Silent Night,” children will enjoy singing along to these traditional Christmas songs.“My First Book Of Christmas Carols” is sure to become a family favorite as children end with an a capella version of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”

Classic Christmas carols are perfect for reflecting on the true meaning of the season. Away in a Manger captures the tender birth of Jesus that first Christmas night. Born in a stable, Mary sweetly puts Jesus on a bed of hay as animals gaze upon the Christ-child. Included is the verse “Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, and take us to heaven to live with Thee there.”

Paraeducator Bella Sylvanio has grand plans for the kick-off to the Christmas programs at her elementary school, but the fire alarm sounds before her cookies are baked, and then the cocky new resource officer Maguire Raines upends her orderly world. An unwilling ringmaster for the Christmas Circus, Mag attempts to keep the wayward fifth graders in alignment and works with a troubled second-grader to ease Bella’s concerns. A search for a new business niche lands Mag a bevy of clearance items which become her treasure trove of costumes for the performance. An unseasonal snow turns matters ...

Discover how the angels proclaimed Jesus’ birth to the frightened shepherds, and then follow the shepherds as they are guided by the star shining in the east to the stable where Jesus was born.

Christmas stories, jokes, and more! Once upon a time, there lived a group of five little penguins. They loved Christmas more than anything! They all teamed up and decided to share the magic of Christmas with everyone they came in contact with, even Grumpy (the eldest penguin). Join the fun with the Christmas penguins! This Christmas audiobook is especially great for bedtime stories, traveling, waiting rooms, and listening aloud with friends and family!

When Stuever's narrative begins, he's standing in line with the people waiting to purchase flat-screen TVs at Best Buy on Black Friday, the opening of the Christmas shopping season. From there he follows a number of key residents of Frisco, Texas, as they navigate through the nativity and all its attendant crises.

Classic Christmas carols are perfect for reflecting on the true meaning of the season. Teach children about the gifts brought to Jesus by the three kings. The bright star was their guide as they traveled over mountains to see the Savior of the world.

This audiobook includes Christmas stories, funny jokes, and more! Makes a wonderful stocking stuffer or holiday gift for kids! Merry Christmas! You and your child will enjoy this cute Christmas audiobook full of fun stories and funny Christmas jokes for kids. This is an excellent audiobook for young listeners. It's perfect for listening aloud during the holidays with friends and family! These stories are great for quick bedtime stories and cute tales to be listened to aloud with others!

Everyone loves some travel fun to pass the time! This audiobook is a great way to keep family and friends entertained at home or on the road. It’s time to spark a little holiday competition with the perfect mix of questions, to be enjoyed by all ages. Divide into teams or go head to head, keep score, and let the fun begin!

Just in time for Christmas comes a collection of the very best holiday essays from the best-selling mother/daughter writing duo. Whether they're shopping for matching reindeer dog sweaters or having second helpings of egg nogg, Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella will keep you warm with their humor and heart. So give yourself some holiday cheer in the midst of all the shopping, cooking, wrapping, and baking madness.… You deserve to get a little Happy and Merry!