PROVIDED

Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A Die Hard Musical Parody, book and lyrics by Michael Shepherd Jordan and Alex Garday, music and lyrics by Stephanie McCullough, opens Dec. 8 at The Laboratory Theater of Florida.

Will The Laboratory Theater of Florida finally decide the age-old question of whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas show? It’s the Die Hard you know and love: actions, explosions and… dance numbers? In this nostalgic homage to one of the greatest action movies of the 80s, grizzled cop Officer McClane fights terrorists and tries to understand his business-driven wife. There are jokes galore in this parody of a Christmas classic.

Producing Artistic Director Annette Trossbach said, “We are coming into the holiday season. The heart longs for family, snow, and heartwarming traditional stories like A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker. ‘Yippee’ is like neither of those things. It’s crass, ridiculous, over-the-top, naughty fun. The music is great, made even better by Earl Sparrow’s rich harmonies. And it’s a delight to see all of these 1980s Aquanet and mullet hair-dos again. I’m proud that we have another premiere here at The Laboratory Theater of Florida, as this is only the second production in the country. It’s destined to become a cult classic, just like the movie it was based on.”

Directed by Producing Artistic Director Annette Trossbach, with Brett Marston as Assistant Director, Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A Die Hard Musical Comedy features Mark King (Bruce McClane), John Alday (Nakatomi), Katherine Suero (Terrorist Tony/Klaus), Daniel Sabiston (Hans Olo), Shakiya Boucher (Holly), Reuben Morgan (Carl, Fabrique, Theo), Jency Emo (Willis, ensemble), Robert Taylor (Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Arnold), Jonattan Declet (FBI Johnson), Ariana Millian (Assistant/ensemble), Tillman Emo (ensemble). Musical Direction by Earl Sparrow and Choreography by Erica Fiore. Stage management by Faye Barrett, set design by Jonathan Johnson and Gabrielle Lansden.

Performance dates:

PROVIDED

Dec. 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 10, 17 at 2 p.m.

Special Events:

Dec. 6, 7 at 7:30 p.m. | Half-price preview nights

Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. | Teens get a free ticket to the performance (reservations required)

PROVIDED

Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. | Sensory-friendly performance

This show is rated PG13 (adult language, comic violence)

“Yippee” is generously sponsored by Arthur Zupko

Tickets are $40 each or $15 for students with valid IDs. There are half-priced previews on Dec. 6 and 7, and a new Thursday night special ticket price of $32 each for adults. For tickets, call the box office at 239-218-0481 or visit laboratorytheaterflorida.com.