Ann-Carol Pence reflects on 30 years of Christmas Canteen — prepares to pass the torch 

Thanksgiving is here, along with the beginning of the holiday season. Yet with that beginning comes the end of an era, as Ann-Carol Pence, artistic director of Aurora Theatre and longtime music director of the annual Christmas Canteen, steps down from the latter position. As she prepares to take her final bow as music director, Pence looks back on 30 years of bringing holiday joy to the Aurora stage.

Pence has been the music director, arranger and conductor of the Christmas Canteen since its inception. Aurora regulars will recognize Christmas Canteen as the theater’s yearly variety show featuring skits and holiday songs, but only their longest-standing patrons will remember that the show started out as a scripted musical, conceived by the late Scott Rousseau and designed to pay tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces.

Since then, the show has existed in a state of constant evolution. “At first, everybody had character names,” said Pence. “And then all of a sudden, a guy named Andy was playing a character named Andy, and I said ‘Let’s everybody just be ourselves.’” This was just the first of many changes that came about from the interplay between the cast and creative team. 

“We thought ‘OK, if we’re gonna be ourselves, then what is more modern music that we can insert?’ And then my friend Eric Moore, many years ago, came in and said ‘I’m gonna sing ‘This Christmas.’ How can I do that?’ So we put in a Motown section,” Pence recalled. 

She admitted that the collaborative nature of Christmas Canteen became one of her favorite things about it, adding that what she’s always treasured most are the Christmas songs people suggest to her. It’s through collaboration that the show resists stagnation — the tradition lying not in its script or song list but in the simple act of gathering for a celebration.

This formula has proved to be a winner time and again, as audiences and actors return to Christmas Canteen year after year. Of the eight main performers in this year’s Canteen, only one is a newcomer, while some, such as host Galen Crawley, have performed for as many as six or seven. Meanwhile, the event has become a tradition for many in the Atlanta metro area. “It was 20 years before we started to realize that we were seeing families cycle through,” Pence said. “We would see kids, and then the kids would grow up and bring their kids.”

This commitment to allowing Christmas Canteen to grow with its audience is part of what has motivated Pence to step down now while she is still able to give her successor the tools to succeed. 

“I really want to make sure that I am still vibrant enough to pass that torch,” she noted. “I think handing off while you’re still vital and relevant makes it easier for the next generation to assume the lead. I think sometimes, as we age, we don’t think of the person who is coming after us. There’s a bunch of knowledge that I’m sure I have in my brain that has never been put down on paper, so this gives me a few years to still be here and pass that opportunity on to someone else.”

No official successor has been declared, though the Aurora team has some names in mind. It’s also possible that Pence will continue to step into smaller roles, depending on the needs of the next music director. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to help in some way,” she said. “If they’re not quite ready to direct music, I can step in. If they’re great at music directing but not quite ready for prime time in their arrangements, then I can help with that. Or I can just mentor them.”

In the meantime, Pence has some exciting things planned for her last hurrah. In honor of Aurora starting this year’s season with The Wiz, this Canteen will feature a returning Motown section starring multiple cast members from that production. This year will also feature an original Christmas song titled “A Beautiful Sound,” written by local songwriter and former Aurora Theatre apprentice Asher Patten, as well as a tribute to Hamilton in honor of the musical’s 10th anniversary.

After 30 years, the love for Christmas Canteen has clearly not diminished. Reflecting on her decision to step down, Pence acknowledged the bittersweet nature of this change. “I know I’m making a good decision for the future of Aurora, but it’s still the happiest and the saddest moment,” she said. 

Where & When

The 30th annual Christmas Canteen is onstage at Aurora Theatre November 28 through December 11. Tickets start around $38.
128 East Pike St., Lawrenceville.

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Luke Evans is an Atlanta-based writer, critic and dramaturg. He covers theater for ArtsATL and Broadway World Atlanta and has worked with theaters such as the Alliance, Actor’s Express, Out Front Theatre and Woodstock Arts. He’s a graduate of Oglethorpe University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and the University of Houston, where he earned his master’s.