Shotwell family steps in for annual Travolta Christmas show, still produced by Ellen Travolta

Jenny Shotwell first joined forces with Ellen Travolta in 2021, when stepping in as pianist for the veteran actress’ annual Christmas show.

Two productions later, Shotwell widened that role as a featured singer.

Now, it’s an all-Shotwell family affair with her husband and two kids in “The Sound of Christmas” at the Coeur d’Alene Resort from Friday through Dec. 22, running Thursdays through Sundays. After the 2023 performance, Travolta took a step back from the show’s stage but remains its producer.

While Shotwell has an extensive background as a singer, piano player and cast member in musical theater and opera, her co-stars bring their own stage merits, including husband Dalton; son Clark, 9; and daughter Skye, 6.

“Last year, Clark was part of the Ellen Travolta show with me; he played the piano and sang,” Jenny said. Her son started playing the instrument just before age 3.

“He’s an excellent piano player and singer. Then this summer, he and I were in the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s production of ‘Secret Garden.’ I was Lily and he was Colin, my son, so we got to play mother and son on stage,” Jenny said. “That was his first full-length stage production, but he’s not a stranger to the stage.”

Skye has singing experience, as well, at her school talent show and through her mom, who teaches voice and piano for about 50 students.

“This is her big debut at 6,” said Jenny, and Skye piped up, “It’s my first show.”

Dalton is a longtime drummer, voted Tacoma-area best in the category in 2010. The couple met through choir at Pacific Lutheran University, and he laughs about playing the minor role of sergeant of police in “The Pirates of Penzance.”

“I’ve played a billion shows as a drummer for various different bands, mainly in Tacoma and Seattle,” said Dalton, a self-employed videographer.

“I have a lot of stage experience, just not the way that Jenny does – not front and center with the spotlight. This is a touch unusual for me, because there will be some moments when I’m commanding the stage with either reading an essay or poem, or singing a song.”

Jenny still will sing and play the piano, and they’ve brought in bass player Eric Haakensen. Her husband will do “a bit of drumming.”

“He’s an amazing drummer,” she said. “It’s not rock band for the show, but he’s adding his flair.”

Both Shotwells credit Travolta for framing this production’s nostalgic feel, mixing in historic storytelling about how Coeur d’Alene celebrated long-ago Christmases, mainly in the 1940s and 1950s.

The history gets told in small bits, Dalton said. He has met with Travolta on a regular basis since February on ideas to bring those stories creatively to the stage.

“I read an essay at one point from something that was given to the Coeur d’Alene newspaper in 1941,” he said. “We have a little video that’s four minutes long in the middle of the show that she and I worked all year on.”

Travolta said while the Shotwells ran creative ideas by her, it was collaborative.

“I did not alone create this show,” Travolta added. Roger Welch also returns as director.

Jenny selected the songs and arrangements, tapping a crooner-jazzy style similar to Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney and Judy Garland. She can sing opera, but this show will have a traditional Christmas track.

“I love the classics,” she added. “Those are all my favorites. My voice lends itself to that style, so it will be very accessible and very Christmas-y in nature.

“We’re definitely trying to capture the nostalgia of Christmas pasts, but this type of cabaret we’re doing feels nostalgic in its form. It’s not overproduced; it’s the simplicity of just great Christmas music, sweet kids, fun storytelling.”

There’s no dancing or big lights. “We’re just ideally bringing you into our living room and having a wonderful night of storytelling.”

The family moved to Coeur d’Alene in July 2020, seeking a quieter pace for raising children. Before that, Jenny knew theater colleagues here and did a few regional shows. She kept getting more gigs that were “fulfilling and fun.”

Back in Seattle, she was in the original cast of “A Christmas Story: the Musical” on its path to Broadway, which she said is one of her professional highlights.

“I got to work with the creators of that show who are Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. They went on to write music for ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘La La Land.’ I was cast by them. That was a pretty incredible experience.”

She also created a one-woman cabaret, “I Love a Piano,” in Seattle.

Here in summer 2023, Jenny played Maria in Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s “The Sound of Music.”

Dalton said the couple realized that this region holds both high-level talent and wide support for the arts.

“We were coming from a metropolis area, Seattle-Tacoma, with hundreds of thousands of people and moving to a smaller area, but the talent here seemed at least on par if not better.”

For this Christmas show, the family said they’ve practiced their singing and performing for “months and months.”

The couple said they’re grateful Travolta asked if they would take on the show, and that they said, “yes.” They appreciate Travolta’s creative ideas, Jenny added.

“I value it greatly,” she said.

“It is really special for us to do this as a family. I’ve been a performer my whole life and to have the opportunity to do and create a show that involves my whole family is pretty awesome for us.

“Personally, it’s one for the books.”

Then she turned to Clark, after he said, “We’re still adding finishing touches.” Proud parents aside, the couple called him the show’s secret star. “This guy is going to blow you away,” she said. “He’s an exceptional piano player.”

Tickets are $35, and available online at cdachristmas.com.