As traditional as the Christmas ham

There’s more than a touch of the local about this year’s Gaslight Christmas concert at the West Gippsland Arts Centre.

Producer and compere of the long-running show, Chris McKenna moved to Warragul when he was three months and lived here until he was six.

“We lived in Elizabeth St and my father and mother were both key members of the Warragul Dramatic Arts Society,” he told the Gazette.

“Dad did the lighting and my mother was a leading lady.”

McKenna is not the only local connection in the Gaslight company.

Leading lady Alison Jones was born in Morwell. She has sung leading roles all over the world, including Yum Yum in Mikado and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance at the Savoy Theatre in London.

McKenna’s company, Promac Productions, was the first to produce morning shows at Warragul and they have been very successful ever since.

The Gaslight Christmas companies first started at the newly built Melbourne Concert Hall in 1982.

The Christmas show combines traditional Christmas carols with

contemporary Christmas songs and a lot of laughs.

The other members of the company are Roy Best, one of Australia’s most popular tenors, who is currently guest soloist with the Australian Pops Orchestra, and Len Vorster, who is musical director.

A Gaslight Christmas is at the West Gippsland Arts Centre at 11am on Friday, December 16.

Tickets are $24 full price, $21 Concession, $20 for members and $16 for under 18s.

For bookings or more information, contact the West Gippsland Arts Centre box-office on 5624 2456 or visit www.wgac.org.au.