TORONTO: Toronto’s favourite family Chanukah celebration will mark five consecutive years this December. Back by popular demand, Treehouse TV’s sing-along superstars, Judy & David, are returning with their large-scale children's Chanukah concert, featuring their trademark high-energy song and dance. Their combination of original tunes and traditional Chanukah melodies is guaranteed to keep audiences rocking.

“This show has been such a huge success, despite the fact that it started as a bit of an accident" admits David. "We had rented a theatre to mount a new musical version of one of our Once Upon A Tune stories. The only problem was that three months before the show and it was not yet coming together. We were miles away from being able to mount a full blown musical.”

It was then that the duo realized their theatre reservation happened to coincide with Chanukah.“ There were many big Christmas shows, but no major family Chanukah shows in Toronto and we thought that it just wasn’t right. Rather than cancel the reservation we thought we would take a chance at putting together a Chanukah production and see if people would come.”

And come they did. What started as a small show has mushroomed into the biggest family Chanukah show of its kind in the province, if not the country. “Despite the large numbers of people, we have been lucky to keep it feeling intimate by doing many shows in smaller theatres” says Judy. “We’re very excited to bring Chanukah Live to the City Playhouse in Thornhill this year. It’s a great place to see a show – as is the Al Green Theatre at the Miles Nadal JCC. We can really see every person in the audience.”

This year’s Chanukah extravaganza will feature songs from their popular "Rock 'N Roll Matzah Ball" CD and their hit kids' TV show "Judy & David's Boom Box", now seen throughout the week on Treehouse TV. The concerts will also feature the delightful sounds of The CharActor's Kids’ Choir, Boomy the Boom Box, The Magic Menorah, Bagel the Dog and lots of special effects.

What ever became of the mega musical that was cancelled for that first Chanukah show? The Once Upon a Tune series was born two years later and has exploded to thousands of audience members in five cities. “Red’s in the Hood” will also play the City Playhouse and the Al Green Theatre, plus Markham Theatre and others in March of 2006.

LIVE ON STAGE…

Toronto area families can see "Judy & David's Chanukah Live 2005" at City Playhouse in Thornhill on December 10th at 6:30pm & December 11th at 10:30am & 1:30pm (box office: 905-882-SHOW). Also at the Al Green Theatre in the Miles Nadal JCC on December 17th at 3:30 & 6:30pm and December 18th at 10:30am & 1:30pm (Ticketmaster: 416-872-1111). Tickets are $18 and $24 with a portion in support of children’s charities. More information is available at judyanddavid.com.