PHOENIX (AP) — In a quaint town just before Christmas, a career woman from the big city finds herself in a series of unexpected love stories. From a prince in disguise to a high school crush and a widowed father, her holiday experiences are as unique as they are heartwarming. This isn't just a plot from a Hallmark Channel holiday movie; it's a reality playing out on theater stages across the country.

Discover the Off-Screen Romances of the Holiday Season

Ghostlight Theatre: "The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon"

Ghostlight Theatre in the Phoenix suburb of Sun City West is presenting a delightful show. "The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon" by Don Zolidis juggles six different couples at a Vermont inn. These couples represent various archetypes, like the movie star seeking anonymity and the Christmas-themed shop proprietor. All the female characters have holiday-ish names like Holly, Joy, and Carol. In one funny twist, real-life husband and wife Michael and GinaKay Howell play one of the couples. Michael, who plays the prince of a fictitious country with a "Borat"-like accent, laughs, "There are moments where I'm like, 'What? What are we even saying?' It really hit the nail on the head of everything that Hallmark stands for and then makes fun of it." Director Zach Athanasakis emphasized to the 16-member cast that much of the humor depends on them saying their lines with a straight face. "A lot of these lines are very, very corny and you have to be able to say it with your chest and really, truly embody how much weight that holds for the character in it — no matter how silly it is." Laura Vines, Ghostlight's executive director and co-founder, was looking for something "that would kind of set us apart" in metro Phoenix. She found it in "Wonderthon." Economically, the show doesn't break the bank to stage. "It actually in the script calls for everybody to just wear red and green sweaters. We're doing something a little bit different, but it's kind of along those lines," Vines said.

Broadway Rose Theatre Company: "Five Golden Rings: A Greeting Card Channel Holiday Musical"

Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard, Oregon, is unwrapping "Five Golden Rings: A Greeting Card Channel Holiday Musical." This show also takes place in a Vermont bed-and-breakfast with a protagonist named Holly. She's a business executive who falls for the "hunky lumberjack widower" owner of the B&B, said director Dan Murphy. The regional theater, which employs 250 people, has a reputation for choosing shows "off the beaten path." Murphy saw the reactions across age groups and felt good about the choice. "This last weekend we had a group of donors come in and watch rehearsals and they were laughing at some of the jokes," Murphy said. "The crew, they are interns from high school seniors to college. They come in and watch a rehearsal. They were laughing hysterically." At both theaters, most performances for the Hallmark spoofs have sold out. Murphy thinks people are looking for something different but still multigenerational.

The Williamston Theatre: "A Very Williamston Christmas"

The Williamston Theatre in Williamston, Michigan, is reviving an original play by John Lepard. Lepard binge-watched 15 Hallmark Christmas movies, took notes, and then wrote "A Very Williamston Christmas" in 2022. The play is a love letter to Williamston, which has a population just over 3,800. The corporate career gal comes home from the big city of Lansing. "A lot of people said seeing our town get to be in a Hallmark movie was really fun," said Lepard, who is directing. The play's appeal isn't limited to Williamston. Lepard has gotten requests to license it to theaters elsewhere in Michigan, and in Texas and Colorado. They could rejigger it like a Mad Libs game and "just plug in your town, your local antique store and all the things local to your place."

The Source Material and Its Treatment

Hallmark is on board with these stage shows satirizing their "vibrant, beloved storytelling style." Samantha DiPippo, senior vice president of programming, said in a statement, "It makes sense to us that it's leapt off the screen and onto the stage. In the plays, people are finding fun ways to emulate our signature messages of hope, love, humor, and meaningful connection in their own communities." The send-ups gently jab at the movies — not the movie-watchers. Both those who relish and those who roll their eyes at Hallmark Christmas fodder will have a good laugh. Director Athanasakis made it clear that the goal is to be able to poke fun "in a way that's not necessarily disrespectful to Hallmark movies, but in a way that it takes those jokes and just makes them that much bigger" on the stage. "In a movie, you still want to keep a sense of realism," he said. "In a show like this, you don't have to."