Toronto-based guitarist Sean Kelly (Trapper, Crash Kelly, Gilby Clarke, Lee Aaron, Helix, Honeymoon Suite) will play the role of Johnny in Dee Snider's Rock & Roll Christmas Tale, running November 17th to January 3rd at The Winter Garden Theatre on Yonge St. in Toronto, ON. 

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," says Sean in his most recent blog. "As a life long Twisted Sister fan (ask my brother-in-law Jim, who braved the potential wrath of my mother in 1985 by getting me a Stay Hungry iron-on transfer tee shirt made at the North Bay Mall!), it is my great honour to announce that I have been cast in Dee Snider's Rock N Roll Christmas Tale, running November 17 - January 3 at the world famous Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto! The first thing I ever learned on guitar was the solo to 'We're Not Gonna Take It', so I feel very blessed to get to experience this full circle experience! I am so looking forward to taking the stage with Dee and an incredible cast, and I will do my best to rise to this new challenge... inner 12 year old completely losing his mind right now! I Wanna Rock!

I'll be playing the role of Johnny, lead guitarist for '80s Hair Rock hopefuls Daisy Cutter. I know, it's a stretch but... Many thanks to Danny Stanton for his encouragement and guidance, and the fine folks at Larissa Mair Casting for taking a chance on me!"

In August, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider was a guest on CP24 Breakfast, talking about his Rock & Roll Christmas Tale in Toronto. “As far as the inspiration for the show, I’m a family guy,” Snider says. “I’ve got four kids and three grand kids. We like to celebrate the holidays an every year I take the family out to see a show. But I notice somebody is always going to be left out. Either mom or dad are bored to tears or the kids are falling asleep. So I wanted to create a show that everybody can enjoy and the Rock & Roll Christmas Tale seemed to be the right thing.”

A description of Dee Snider’s Rock & Roll Christmas Tale:

“Dee Snider's Rock & Roll Christmas Tale tells the story of Däisy Cütter, a heavy metal bar band looking to make it big even though the 80s are long over. This year, these four guys are ready to take the ultimate step and, in mythic rock tradition, sell their souls to the devil in exchange for success beyond their wildest metal dreams! But every time they try to seal the infernal pact, their head-banging anthems turn into warm-hearted carols. Soon these rockers are forced to realize their dreams of stardom are no match for the Christmas spirit. Dee Snider, infamous lead singer of Twisted Sister, has created a very funny, very rocking and (sshhh!) Very sweet new holiday musical, guaranteed to rock your whole family's holiday and twist your Christmas.”

Get your tickets now via TicketMaster.

Further details can be found here.