Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!
Family Weekend Performance Dates: November 27 – December 5, 2021
School Day Matinee Dates: November 29 – December 6, 2021
Discovery Audition Dates: September 16-19, 2021
It’s me, Junie B. Jones and wowie, wow, wow have I got a story for you! It’s time for the holiday sing-a-long and normally I would be really excited but blabbermouth May is trying to ruin it all by tattling on me again. You know what’s worse; I pulled you-know-who as my secret Santa! But, wait – this could be the perfect opportunity to give my arch nemesis exactly what she deserves. I just hope Santa doesn’t find out!
A Play by Allison Gregory
Adapted from the book series by Barbara Park
Best enjoyed by ages 5 and up
Location: The Lexington Opera House (401 W Short St, Lexington, KY 40507)
Length of Show: Approximately 1 hour long
Sponsored by: 
Read the Playbill
Family Weekend Performance Info
Saturday, November 27 – 2:00pm
Saturday, December 4 – 2:00pm & 7:00pm*
Sunday, December 5 – 2:00pm
*Pay What You Will
Purchase a Membership
Purchase Single Tickets or Redeem Membership
School Day Matinee Info
Monday – Friday, November 29 – December 3 and Monday, December 6
10:00am & 12:00pm
Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! is recommended for – 1st-4th grade
Curricular Connections – Holidays, Kindness, Friendship, Caring
Schedule a Field Trip
Things to Know Before the Show
Educational Play Guide Read the Playbill
About LCT’s Discovery Productions
Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! is one of our Discovery productions, which means it is a show about young people, performed by young people and local adults. LCT continues to provide challenging performance opportunities for our young actors. We also encourage and mentor students in the many areas of technical theatre. Some of our cast and crew members have worked with LCT for years, while some are celebrating their first time joining the LCT Family! We are excited to see new and familiar faces grace our productions. We hope you might consider joining us in a production.
About your trip to the theatre
Be sure to arrive early to find a place to park – options include metered parking surrounding the Opera House and the parking garage on the corner of Broadway and Short Street. Unfortunately, neither LCT nor the Lexington Opera House are able to validate garage parking.
Masks are required during our shows at all times, regardless of vaccination status. If you forget your mask we will be happy to provide one for you. For more information about our safety procedures for performances, visit https://www.lctonstage.org/covid19-safety/.
The Opera House lobby doors are open 60 minutes prior to curtain. The doors to the seating areas open 30 minutes before curtain for ushers to begin seating patrons.
LCT is moving to contactless/paperless ticketing and playbills. Your ticket confirmation email will have all the information you need to check in, no physical tickets required! It’s a good idea to have the email pulled up on your phone when you arrive so you can reference your seat numbers. At the theatre doors, just tell the ushers the name your tickets are under and they will be able to check you in and help you find your seats.
For more on planning your visit to LCT and The Lexington Opera House, click here.
About Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!
Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!, written by Allison Gregory and adapted from the book series by Barbara Park, is a lighthearted romp told through the eyes of precocious first grader Junie B. Jones. Junie B. is super excited about the start of winter break, but before she can “get outta here” she has to play nice with her nemesis, May.
Over the course of the play we witness the adventures Room One get up to while they rehearse their play, as well as the Holiday Sing-a-long. In between we experience a day in the life of some of the most quick-witted, unique, and opinionated first graders you’ve ever met.
Patrons with sensory sensitivities should know that there are a few moments throughout the play with flashing lights, and one use of strobe lighting as well. If you feel you will need to close your eyes or step out into the lobby ahead of these moments, please check in with any LCT staff member at the show and we can give you a list of the specific moments so you will know when they happen.
This play features a lot of classroom humor. Whether it’s chitchat about Aunt Bunny’s skull tattoos, venting frustrations about school, or just giving the Squeeze-A-Burp a good hug, the students in Room One have plenty to say. While the humor does get to be a little much for the teachers, it is never inappropriate for young audiences. To quote Junie B., “a good burp can bring the whole world together!”
But in the end, this is a play about friendship. Whether Junie B. is with her old pal Herb, her favorite toy Philip Johnny Bob, or trying not to park at the principal’s office with May, this play is full of funny moments, positive messages, and good friends.
This play is a great way to spark conversations about treating others the way you want to be treated. Junie B. and May fight like cats and hogs, but in the end they are able to put aside their differences in the spirit of the holiday season. As Mr. Scary puts it, doing something nice for someone you don’t like is “a gift that you give yourself.” Junie B. learns a valuable lesson about taking time to do something nice for someone less fortunate. This play also opens the door to conversations about why we celebrate certain holidays. While the play spends a lot of time talking about Christmas, it also acknowledges that not everyone celebrates every holiday and gives reasons why that might be. What holidays does your family celebrate? Why do people celebrate some holidays and not others? When it comes to days like Columbus Day, what are we celebrating?
This play also features a segment where Junie B. and the class participate in a presentation about Columbus’ voyage to America. This provides a great starting point to begin discussions about the truths of Indigenous peoples’ experience and the impact of colonization upon our country. The events of our past and the accuracy – or inaccuracy – of those accounts provide educational opportunities for our young people. We hope you initiate conversations about recognizing existing historical biases and learning the truth about historical events.
We love this story because it reminds us to care about the people around us, and that friendship is always lurking around the corner. Through her actions, Junie B. shows us how hard it can be to be selfless, but in the end we know that Junie B. did the right thing and helped spread holiday cheer!