Homegrown holiday celebration in ‘Meet Me in Milford’

Milford. “Meet Me in Milford” received a warm reception at the Milford Theater and officially kicked off the winter season.

| 23 Dec 2025 | 02:10

A few months before the Christmas show at the Milford Theater was to be held on the weekend of Dec. 20 and 21, the cast got together to bat around some ideas for the show.

Almost all of them had performed together in various plays at the theater and they were beginning to feel a lot like a family. Why not treat the show like a musical, they wondered.

Each of the actors was asked to bring in songs that they really liked or that were very personal to them. They wanted to create a warm and enjoyable Christmas for them and for the audience, especially in this cozy little theater, in this cozy little theater.

The plot consisted of six friends celebrating on Christmas eve in a little chalet in the woods in Milford.

Musical Director Sandy Stalter was in the house as the group arrived. Songs like “I’ll be home for Christmas,” “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Sleigh Ride” were among the songs or song of the season.

There were 21 songs all together and at times it felt like Stalter and the group were singing in dialog – an interesting feat to accomplish. In addition to these seasonal songs, the actors chose songs like, “You go to My Head,” “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered,” and a comic rendition of “Sisters” sung by the males in the audience.

Director/Choreographer Joseph Ambrosia added a new title to his repertoire – that of creative. He’s been singing and dancing since he was four.

“Christmas is an incredibly special time of year for me and as a life-long performer, it doesn’t quite feel like the holiday season without singing. Upon casting the piece, I asked Artistic Director Beth O’Neil if she’d welcome me to also join this wonderful cast onstage, and the rest is what you saw!” he said. “I’m grateful to this cast of performers for so warmly welcoming me on the stage with them and making it so easier to switch from the director’s chair to the boards of the stage. Teamwork makes any dream work.”

The audience was robust in its praise and they seemed to love the music as it ended with a standing ovation. Stalter said that some people in the group were even crying because the music meant so much to them.

“It was fun for the children and adults to put on their sweaters and come be with other people in the community,” she said.