Hartford, CT – November
1, 2017 – Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and
Managing Director Michael Stotts today announced the cast and creative team for the 20th anniversary season of A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas.
Adapted
and originally directed by Michael
Wilson, A
Christmas Carol will be directed by Hartford Stage Artistic Associate Rachel Alderman. Hartford’s beloved family holiday
classic will run Friday, November 24,
through Saturday, December 30.
United
Technologies serves
as the Exclusive Presenting Sponsor.
Michael Preston, well known
to Hartford audiences from his six seasons with the company playing the
larger-than-life Mr. Marvel, will assume the role of Ebenezer Scrooge from Bill Raymond, who
retired last Christmas after 17 seasons in the role.
“This holiday season, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Michael Wilson’s gorgeous production of A Christmas Carol; and we are thrilled that Michael Preston, a
beloved member of our company, is taking on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge,” said
Tresnjak. “Join us for a great Hartford holiday tradition.”
Alderman added, “This season, I am joyfully haunted
by Scrooge’s vow at the end of the play to ‘live in the past, the present and
the future.’ So, too, do we strive, with this 20th anniversary
production, to pay homage to the past two decades of holiday theatre magic,
while presently welcoming new cast members into our Hartford family, in
anticipation of sweet, future memories yet to come.”
New to the company this year are Kenneth
De Abrew as First
Solicitor/Undertaker/Fezziwig; Shauna Miles as Mrs. Cratchit/Mrs. Fezziwig; and John-Andrew Morrison as Mr. Marvel.
Buzz Roddy returns
to play Scrooge for the student matinee performances. Roddy also portrays the
Second Solicitor in all public performances.
Returning
cast members in new roles are Vanessa R
Butler as Fred's Wife/Belle and Rebecka
Jones as Bettye Pidgeon/Spirit of Christmas Past/Old Josie.
Cast members reprising their roles are Robert
Hannon Davis as Bob Cratchit; Sarah Killough as Ghostly
Apparition/Fred’s Sister-in-Law; Alan
Rust as Bert/Spirit of Christmas Present; Noble Shropshire as Mrs. Dilber/Jacob Marley; and Terrell Donnell Sledge as Fred/Scrooge at 30.
Student actors from The
Hartt School at the University of Hartford include: Laura Axelrod, Jake
Blakeslee, Rebecca Chism, Brittnay DeAngelis, Jamaal Fields-Green, Dan Macke, Alyssa Marino,
Evan McReddie, Daniel Owens, Nicholas Rylands, Dawniella Sinder, Austin
Tipograph, Alessandro Gian Viviano, and Dominique Rose Waite.
Martin Lechner serves as stage manager for the
production, assisted by Kelly Hardy.
Shelby Demke is
the youth director, assisted by Catherine
Michaels. Hartford Stage Artistic Apprentice William Steinberger is
the assistant director/dramaturg.
The
artistic team also includes scenic designer Tony
Straiges; costume
designer Alejo Vietti; original costume designer Zack Brown; lighting designer Robert Wierzel; original music and sound designer John Gromada; choreographer Hope
Clarke, assisted by Derric Harris; dance captain Sarah Killough; musical
director Ken Clark; and vocal coach Ben Furey.
Information and Special Events
- Dates &
Times – The production runs Friday,
November 24, to Saturday, December 30. Weeknight and evening performances begin
at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and select weekday matinees begin at 2 p.m.
- Press and
Opening Night – Friday, December 1,
at 7:30 p.m.
- Audio Described Performance – Sunday, December 17, at 2 p.m. For patrons who are deaf or have hearing loss — free
service with admission.
- Open Captioned Performance – Sunday, December 17, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For patrons who are blind or have low vision — free
service with admission.
- Holiday Market
Days – Sunday, December 3, matinee
performance; Saturday, December 9, matinee and evening performances; Sunday,
December 10, matinee; Saturday, December 16, matinee; and Sunday, December 17,
matinee and evening performances.
Local
vendors will showcase unique items for purchase in our lobby. Doors will open
before the show at 12:30 p.m. for matinee performances, and 6:30 p.m. for
evening performances. Booths will be open during intermission and after the
show.
Tickets
start at $25. For show times and tickets, visit www.hartfordstage.org/christmas-carol or contact
the Hartford Stage Box Office at 860-527-5151. Student seats are $15 off the
full price, excluding SuperSaver tickets. For group discounts (10 or
more), contact Group Sales at 860-520-7114. Group rates are limited to select
performances and based on availability.
