Globe to light Grinchy tree to celebrate radio broadcast

To celebrate its upcoming 23rd annual production of “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the Old Globe is dusting off another holiday tradition tonight — its annual Christmas tree-lighting event.

Because of the pandemic, Globe officials have adapted the evergreen holiday musical for the radio this year. KPBS radio will broadcast the pretaped performance at noon Thanksgiving Day as well as on Dec. 5 and 20. The final broadcast will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 24.

This year’s production was directed via Zoom by James Vásquez with musical direction by Elan Mcmahan. Reprising their roles from last year are Edward Watts as the Grinch, Tommy Martinez as Young Max, John Treacy Egan as Old Max and Leila Manuel as Cindy-lou Who.

The tree-lighting event, usually held in the Globe’s courtyard in Balboa Park with hundreds of spectators, will instead by livestreamed at 6 p.m. today on the Globe’s website and social media channels. Among the artists who will make appearances and sing numbers from the show are Watts and Vásquez, as well as Ariana Afsar, who was one of the Cindy-lous in the inaugural production. Also making appearances are Steve

Gunderson and Melinda Gilb, who performed in the show as grown-up Whos for many years. Tune in at theoldglobe.org.

Also returning virtually this year will be a sensoryfriendly “Grinch” AXIS show for viewers on the autism spectrum. Inclusion specialist Samantha Ginn and local singer Reid Moriarty and the band Jungle Poppins will present a special community voices workshop from

10 a.m. to noon Dec. 20 on the Old Globe’s Youtube channel at youtube.com/ user/theoldglobe.

JIM COX From left: Tommy Martinez, Edward Watts and John Treacy Egan in the Old Globe’s “Grinch.”