Kenny Rogers to star in touring Christmas production

Kenny Rogers will star in a touring production of "Christmas From the Heart Featuring the Toy Shoppe," a musical stage show. The six-week tour is set to open on Nov. 17 in Dalton, Ga.

The production--which features a choir, a cast of many children and 11 original songs written by Rogers--debuted in 1998 with a six-week, off-Broadway run at New York's Beacon Theatre, according to organizers.

Rogers will open each show by performing a series of holiday standards--including "The Christmas Song," "Let It Snow" and "White Christmas"--in a small-town setting. Later, Rogers appears in a Christmas story titled "The Toy Shoppe," which Rogers co-wrote with Kelly Junkermann.

The production's original songs are included on a new Rogers album titled "Christmas from the Heart" (Dreamcatcher).

Rogers and Junkermann have also collaborated on a children's book entitled "The Toy Shoppe." Released in October, the book includes an interactive CD.