COEUR d'ALENE - Not quite feeling that Christmas spirit yet?

Wondering where to find it?

Try the Lake City Playhouse.

"The Little Drummer Boy" written by Matt Harget opens at 7:30 tonight.

The 90-minute musical promises to provide the songs and sounds of the season sure to turn any scowling Scrooge into a smiling Santa.

"It makes you feel good," said Jillian Wylie, who is directing her first community theater production.

She said the family friendly show will have guests singing along - or at least wanting to sing along.

"It's a great way to spend an evening and get into the holiday spirit," she said.

It tells the story of a young boy named Isaac who befriends Mary and Joseph and helps the hopelessly lost Wise Men get to Bethlehem in time for the birth of Jesus.

"After arriving at the nativity, the little drummer boy is saddened that he has nothing to offer the child," according to a press release. "However, with the help of his family and friends he learns that everyone has a gift."

Wylie called it a "sweet, fun play" that tells the age-old story through the eyes of the drummer boy and his family. It follows his journey to the scene of Christ's birth and the challenges he meets along the way to get there.

The Little Drummer Boy is more than just a heart-warming Christmas story. For Wylie, it's personal.

Her good friends, David Gigler and Troy Nickerson, were involved in the musical when it was first produced in Spokane in the early 2000s.

Gigler, a longtime supporter of community theater a Playhouse board member, died in June. Drummer Boy was one of his favorite shows.

"He really enjoyed being part of it," Wylie said. "He loved that show."

As director, she said it has been rewarding to be so involved in a musical that was so dear to Gigler. She has taken pride in watching the production come together.

"I wanted to be true to the story, respect the story," she said.

Wylie said this version of The Little Drummer Boy has a strong cast, with beautiful voices.

Playhouse veteran Alex Eddy plays Ben the narrator, Brendan Brady plays Joseph, and Evan Figuracion plays the drummer boy.

Songs include "The Little Drummer Boy," along with originals, "Our Quiet Little Town" and "A Little Something on the Side."

Harget, author of the play, has the role of a Roman soldier, while his daughter, Abbey, plays one of the children's roles.

With so many community theater holiday shows in the area, Wylie said pulling a cast together initially was difficult.

"This is not necessarily a well-known show," she said.

But with opening day here, Wylie is excited about what's in store for the audience.

"We ended up lucking out with a very talented cast," she said.

The Little Drummer Boy opens 7:30 p.m. today at the Lake City Playhouse, and will run Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 16. Tickets are $19.75 for the musical; $17.75 for military and students; $15.75 for seniors, $13.75 for 12 and under. For tickets, call 667-1323, Monday and Wednesday to Friday, noon to 3:30 p.m., or online at lakecityplayhouse.org. The Playhouse is at 1320 East Garden Ave.