Submitted Photo Chad Willow, Emily Walter and Jared Mason perform during last year’s Magical Medora Christmas tour.

“It’s a Gift” is the theme as the magic of Medora takes to the road for a fourth holiday travelling show with stops in 24 communities including shows at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall at Minot State University.

This year’s show, featuring five popular performers with many years of experience at Medora’s Burning Hills Amphitheater, will include 31 performances at 24 venues in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota.

“The popularity of this show demonstrates people in the upper Midwest still thirst for good, old-fashioned family-style entertainment,” said Bill Sorensen, host of the Medora Musical, who five years ago hatched the idea of taking Medora-style performances on the road during the holiday season.

In addition to Sorensen, “It’s a Gift” will feature former Medora Musical hosts Emily Walter and Job Christenson, yodeler extraordinaire Jared Mason, and Chad Willow, longtime band leader at the Medora Musical.

“The Magical Medora Christmas show is an extension of Medora’s allure,” said Randy Hatzenbuhler, president of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. “We thought it would be a one-year thing, but people so enjoyed it that there are more communities asking for the show than we can get to.”

Crew member Rolf Sletten says he’s proud to be part of a show that brings great Christmas entertainment to thousands of people.

“It’s a huge amount of work,” Sletten says, “but the incredible response from the audience makes it all worthwhile. It’s very fun to share Medora with so many appreciative people”.

The show will feature the musical talents of Mason, Walter, Christenson and Willow, and the comedy and magic talents of Sorensen. All five have appeared as featured performers of the acclaimed Medora Musical, and they all have long resumes of entertainment experience. Among other things, Christianson and Mason have both appeared in shows on Broadway.

This year the Magical Medora Christmas tour stops in 15 communities in North Dakota, one in Montana, six in Minnesota and two in South Dakota. Tickets for all shows are $30 and are available now at www.medora.com. Tickets will also be available at locations in the host communities.