Smith Center for the Arts

GENEVA, NY – Families and movie-lovers alike are encouraged to attend a screening of the 2004 animated classic film “The Polar Express” at the Smith Center for the Arts at 2:00pm on Saturday, December 11th. Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book of the same name, acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis brings this story of friendship and Christmas spirit to life with ground-breaking computer animation. This presentation of the film is intended to be a whimsical day of family-friendly fun; attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite pajamas out to The Smith if they so wish!

Set on Christmas Eve, this film tells the tale of a young boy skeptical of the existence of Santa, who embarks on a lively adventure to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express train. His journey leads him through a magical new world and stokes his belief in the magic of Christmas.

The Polar Express boasts a fantastic vocal cast, with Tom Hanks portraying multiple distinct characters over the course of the movie. Zemeckis was very intent on preserving the unique artistic style of Van Allsburg’s book, and developed a never before used stop-motion animation style, which filmed live actors in a black box stage before transforming this footage into animation. The Polar Express laid the foundation for this type of animation to be used in countless films to this day.

It is important that we gather safely this holiday season. All patrons over 12 years of age at films or live performances at the Smith Opera House scheduled through Dec. 31, 2021 are required to wear a mask AND show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. Children younger than 12 years are required to wear a mask. Depending on the nature of the show, patrons may be allowed to remove their mask once seated in the theatre.

To learn more about events offered by The Smith Center for the Arts visit thesmith.org, or visit or call our box office for phone and in-person sales, 10am-4pm, Tuesday-Friday.

The Smith Center for the Arts, stewards of the historic Smith Opera House, provides diverse arts and educational enrichment opportunities year-round for Finger Lakes residents and visitors. The Smith Opera House is at 82 Seneca St. in Geneva, NY. Please email boxoffice@thesmith.org or call (315) 781-5483. For more information visit www.thesmith.org.
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