
It’s beginning to look (and sound) a lot like Christmas at Rise Church in Tigard, where members of the Northwest Senior Theatre musical-revue troupe are busy rehearsing for their upcoming holiday show, “Home for the Holidays.”
The show features 29 songs and includes a tap number and three Christmas carol sing-a-longs with the audience, all accompanied by a pianist, a stand-up bass and a drummer.
The group is made up of retired performers – “professional and non-pro – not yet ready to put our voices and bodies out to pasture,” according to their website.

And Northwest Senior Theatre is enjoying a resurgence after a few difficult years. It enjoyed widespread popularity around the metro area for three decades – including 20 years at the Alpenrose Dairy Opera House. But the Opera House closed at the end of 2019, and then Covid hit in March 2020. Over the next two years of lock-down, it lost about half its members, so when it started up again in the fall of 2022, it was faced with re-creating and re-building the company.
“This is our fifth show since resuming productions,” said Areanne Lloyd, president of the board. “We are still rebuilding, but we are excited about the wonderful and talented people that have joined us. I’m very excited about where this company is going.”
Lloyd encourages anyone with an interest in singing to come to the next audition but adds that people also can contribute by building sets, working on costumes and props or helping backstage and with other endeavors. “Whoever shows up, we will be delighted,” she said.
Northwest Senior Theatre has a new director for this production – Alice Dalrymple who was a high school choir teacher for 45 years and directed student performances. Dalrymple also worked at the HART Theatre in Hillsboro, Mask & Mirror Community Theatre in Tigard and productions that benefited a children’s group. That led to her being recommended to Northwest Senior Theatre, which was looking for an artistic director and a music director.
But Dalrymple was clear that she didn’t want to be the accompanist too, so Mak Kastelic was brought in to tinkle the ivories.
Northwest Senior Theatre does two shows per year – a spring show and a holiday show, and rehearsals for the 2024 holiday show started the first week in September. The group meets twice a week for three hours, and “I made rehearsal tapes for everyone, and they are supposed to be rehearsing at home too,” said Dalrymple, who started designing the show and costumes in early August.
“I am really enjoying working with these people,” Dalrymple said. “They are so vibrant and such an inspiration to anyone of any age because they are so active and so involved and dedicated. There is lots of talent in this group, and they have come up with great ideas. Rachel Zierdt is doing the choreography. The show is really coming together, and it should be a really good show.”
For more information, visit nwseniortheatre.org
Northwest Senior Theatre presents “Home for the Holidays”
When: Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 20-23, at 2 p.m.
Where: Rise Church 10445 S.W. Canterbury Lane, Tigard
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online or at the door with checks or cash
For more information, nwseniortheatre.org, email nwseniortheatre@gmail.com or
call 503-251-4332