A Very-Merry Holiday Hit since its debut, Ron Lytle's musical "The Man Who Saved Christmas" is loosely based on the true story of A.C. Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set. Set in 1917, when America was embroiled in the first World War, this "New Old-Fashioned" crowd-pleaser focuses on Gilbert's battle with the U.S. government as it attempts to ban toy sales during the holiday season.