By Laura Jean Grant -The Cape Breton Post

MABOU - Fourteen shows in 16 days. It's a tough schedule, but popular Cape Breton entertainers Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison and musician Ralph Dillon are up to the holiday challenge that will see them criss-cross the Maritimes over the next two weeks with their show, Tis the Season 2.

The show opens Friday at Strathspey Place in Mabou with an already sold-out performance. The three will then head out on the road before returning to the island for their final two performances of the show at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay Dec. 19 and Dec. 20 at 8 p.m.

It's the second year MacDonald and Morrison have hit the road for the Christmas season and follows what was a very successful Tis The Season show in 2007.

MacDonald said the 2008 version will include a couple of favourite sketches from last year but the bulk of the performance will be new material, sketches and music.

"There's going to be the characters that people are familiar with like Mary Morrison and Martin MacKinnon and Beulah Claxton, and we've added some new characters," she said. "And of course we have Ralph Dillon, our musical director and band, with us, so there's music as well - some original music and some of our favourite holiday music."

MacDonald said she, Morrison and Dillon are excited to bring the show, and some Christmas cheer and comedy, to audiences across the region.

"We finally figured out that you should work during the winter and take the summer off instead of the other way around. It took us a few years to figure that out," she said with a laugh. "I never really thought that I would ever want to tour in December because it's a time when you want to be close to family, and we will get to do that, but it's also wonderful going into all the little towns and seeing them decorated for the holidays and the audiences are ready for a Christmas show and we have such a great time."

MacDonald and Morrison are an accomplished husband and wife comedy duo having performed for more than two decades on television, radio and for live audiences across the country.

MacDonald, a Gemini award winner for her CBC TV performance in the Ha!ifax Comedy Fest, has starred in three national CBC programs, co-hosted the East Coast Music Awards show, appeared at the CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival and was a longtime headliner at the Ha!ifax Comedy Fest.

Morrison, a drama teacher at Sydney Academy, is one of Cape Breton's busiest theatrical performers and also a long-time performer at the Ha!ifax Comedy Fest. His characters are consistent favourites wherever he appears, he's a seasoned master of ceremonies and a gifted writer and director.

Tickets for the Savoy shows are available at the Savoy Theatre box office at 842-1577 and Centre 200, by calling 564-6668, or online at www.savoytheatre.com.

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