Courtesy photo

The cast of The Man Who Saved Christmas prepares for opening night.

‘Tis the season again, time to hang the lights, warm the eggnog and gather around the fire for a hearty chorus of “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

Not familiar with that song? It’s one of 16 featured in The Man Who Saved Christmas, the “new old-fashioned musical” playing a return engagement at the Altarena

Theatre from Nov. 30 through Dec. 16. The show is written, composed and directed by Ron Lytle, whose previous show Oh My Godmother! broke box office records at this, the oldest continuously operating theatre in the Bay Area. Based on historical fact, The Man Who Saved Christmas revolves around the efforts of toymaker A.C. Gilbert, inventor of the Erector set, to stop the U.S. Congress from banning Christmas toy sales in 1917. It’s a canny mixture of crowd-pleasing ingredients: bright tunes, cute kids and a sentimental love story seasoned with comedy and finished with a dash of patriotism. The success of last year’s production encouraged the Altarena to make this musical part of its holiday repertoire.

Might it someday join the ranks of holiday stage perennials like A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker?

“I’m a big believer in Christmas traditions,” said Scott Phillips, who plays the blustery-yet-kindhearted title character. “Every family has their traditions, and this show is a new and refreshing addition to the mix. It’s clever and catchy, and it’s definitely uplifting.”

“It’s very apt for the times we live in,” added Jenifer Tice, cast in the role of Gilbert’s “quintessential supportive, loving wife.”

“It’s about a nation at war, a government that’s out-of-touch and people who just want things to return to normal. But it’s also hopeful, optimistic, and it has a happy ending — Yay!”

Tice and Phillips originated their roles in last year’s production. Both also played major roles in Godmother, and profess great admiration for Lytle’s skills.

“His songs tend to be character-driven,” explained Tice. “They move the plot forward. They’re also fun to listen to and fun to perform.”

Lytle’s career at the Altarena began on the other side of the footlights, with leading roles in Company and Cabaret. “Often it’s hard for performers to turn into directors,” Phillips observed. “We have a tendency to let our egos get in the way. But Ron’s not like that. It’s wonderful to see how he gets performances out of people. He treats everyone with respect, from the kids to us old folks!”

The most gratifying part of the process? For these veteran Bay Area performers, it’s the audience reaction.

“A coworker came to the show last year,” Tice remembered. “She had been blue, and it turned her attitude right around. She said it seemed like a Christmas gift, so she came again and brought a group of friends.”

Phillips recalls an “audience talkback” session after one of last year’s performances. “There was one woman who brought me to tears. She stood up and confessed that she had been through a very bad year. She had been surrounded by death and illness. She came to the show to get away from her troubles, and it put her in the holiday spirit immediately.