Ephie Aardema, Rachel Schur, TikTok's Brett Boles & More to Star in A HANUKKAH CAROL, or GELT TRIP! THE MUSICAL Concert

A Hanukkah Carol, or GELT TRIP! The Musical, an irreverent and heartfelt new musical comedy for all ages that puts a "kosher" spin on the Charles Dickens classic, will present an abridged concert version of the show on December 18 (the first night of Hanukkah), in New York City at The Green Room 42. The cast will be led by Ephie Aardema (Funny Girl), and Rachel Schur (Chicago); with special performances by Brett Boles (creator/star of TikTok's The M Tea), Bobby Conte (Company, Bronx Tale), Jordan Matthew Brown (Book of Mormon) and drag artist Novaczar (Queen of the Universe Season 1). A Hanukkah Carol features songs by Fred Ebb Award Finalists Rob Berliner (3x Kleban Prize Finalist) and Aaron Kenny (ASCAP honoree/Alan Menken's Music Assistant) and a book by Berliner and Harrison Bryan (NYIT Winner/Helen Hayes Award Nom). Marlo Hunter ("2022 Woman to Watch on Broadway") directed the show's private industry reading earlier this month.

From the minds of two Nice Jewish Boys and their Goyfriend, A Hanukkah Carol has all the heart of Dickens-with an extra jolt of chutzpah! It follows a new type of Scrooge: narcissistic millennial influencer Chava Kanipshin (played by Rachel Schur). Obsessed with her social media empire, Chava has no time or energy for the real world, for actual friendships, or-least of all-for Hanukkah with her family. That is, until she is transported on an unforgettable trip that compels her to rethink everything... a trip led by Spirits of the Past, Present, and Future. With eight actors playing over 80 roles, the show subverts-and converts-Dickens' holiday classic to finally put to rest the age-old question: "Hey, how come there isn't a 'Christmas Carol'... for Jews?!"

The cast also includes Joanne Borts (Once, Fiddler on the Roof), Bruce Sabath (Fiddler in Yiddish, Company), Adena Walker (Deanie's Corner), Adinah Alexander (Kinky Boots, Wicked), Dani Apple (The Sourceress), and Katie Luke (Newsies - SALT Award Winner), along with violinist Lauren Jeanne Thomas (Fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish).

A Hanukkah Carol features music direction by Alex Goldie Golden (Kinky Boots) and additional vocal arrangements by Britt Bonney (Once Upon A One More Time). Zak Biggins serves as Stage Manager with Form Theatricals (Anthony Francavilla and Reed Ridgley) as General Manager. Casting by Robin Carus.

This never-before-seen public concert features songs from A Hanukkah Carol, or GELT TRIP! The Musical and will take place on the first night of Hanukkah, Sunday, December 18, at The Green Room 42 at 7pm ET. In-person tickets are almost sold out, however, live-streaming tickets are still available and currently on sale.

The writing team behind A Hanukkah Carol, or GELT TRIP! The Musical is currently seeking a lead producer with sights set to premiere Off-Broadway in 2023. Please visit AHanukkahCarol.com for more information.

About the Artists

Rob Berliner

is a songwriter, performer, and aspiring billionaire philanthropist. As a lyricist, he has been distinguished as a finalist for the Kleban Prize on three occasions and, in tandem with composer Aaron Kenny, was a 2021 finalist for the Fred Ebb Award. Rob's original lyrics are featured in The Chase Brock Experience's newest dance piece BIG SHOT, and his updates to Cole Porter's "You're the Top" have been performed by Ann Harada at 54 Below, by Tony-winner and -nominee Santino Fontana and Laura Osnes at the Huntington Theatre's annual gala, and by stage and screen icons Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli in... rehearsal. (So close! Someday.) He is a proud member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop and a graduate of Northwestern University. For more: robberliner.com or berlinerandkenny.com

Harrison Bryan

is an award-winning Jewish American actor, playwright, producer, and puppeteer. A proud member of The Dramatists Guild of America, Harrison is the recipient of the 2019 New York Innovative Theatre Award and a two-time honored finalist at NYC's Steven Sondheim's Write-A-Play Festival. As an actor, Harrison has appeared Off-Broadway at The Cherry Lane, The Atlantic, The Daryl Roth, and MCC. Recently nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for their performance as Christopher Boone in "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," his writing has been featured, produced, read, and workshopped at The Cherry Lane Theatre, MCC's "FreshPlay Festival", Broadway Comedy Club, The Players Theatre, ["SPF" WINNER], BMI, FringeNYC, The Irish Rep, Playthings Theatre Co., The Flea, The Rude Mechanicals, Ugly Rhino, The Kraine, Open Hydrant, The Nuyorican, Dixon Place, People's Improv Theatre, The Dramatist Guild Fund's Music Hall, Brunch Theatre, Reckless Theatre, West of 10th, Pete's Candy Store, NYU, and Boston University. (And oh god! Don't forget ZOOM!) Brooklyn born and raised, they served as a writer/actor for five years with "FACES, Theatre Network for Teens," using playwriting and improvisation to promote tolerance, peace, and anti-bullying. He thought of the idea for "A Hanukkah Carol" while eating his bubbe's baked ziti. For more: HarrisonBryan.com / IG: @hahaharrisonbryan

Aaron Kenny

is a composer for screen and stage, and a current member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop. A proud Aussie immigrant, Aaron has been the recipient of the Australian Young Composer of the Year Award and has since been featured stateside by ASCAP as a "Composer to Watch," as well as being selected for the ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop (NYC 2017). His musical On Your Mark! was featured in Theatre Now New York's Sound Bites 3.0 and is now available through their anthology publication. Together with lyricist Rob Berliner, their work has been showcased at BMI's seasonal "Smoker" presentation, as well as several Feinstein's/54 Below concerts, as well as their work earning them distinction as 2021 Fred Ebb Award Finalists. They recently wrote songs for the original film musical Brand New Year, which was commissioned and produced by the New York Film Academy, and earned the duo a Best Original Song nomination at the 2019 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Aaron is the Music Assistant to theatre and film legend Alan Menken. For more: aaron-kenny.com or berlinerandkenny.com

Alex Goldie Golden

is an NYC-based composer/lyricist, music director, arranger, and performer. She graduated from Bucknell University with honors in music direction. As a composer, her work was recently featured in the 2019 New York Musical Festival concert, Head and Heart, and has been performed at various venues such as the Duplex Cabaret Theatre. She served as the 2020 composer-in-residence for Playdate Theatre's holiday songwriting development conference, and was an artist-in-residence for Bucknell University 2018-2019. In addition, she recently began working as a composer for The Story Pirates podcast. As a music director, Goldie's recent credits include: Associate Music Director/Keyboards for the Williamstown Theatre Festival Late-Night Cabaret Series (MD: Cody Owen Stine), Annie at Wagon Wheel Center For The Arts, Beauty and the Beast at the New London Barn Playhouse, and Next to Normal at Bucknell University. She is especially passionate about developing new work, and served as music director for Ars Nova's Company-In-Residence workshop production of The Hole Story (Composer: Andrew R. Butler), for the Molloy College and CAP21 BFA program's developmental production of the new pop-rock musical, Ripped, and for new musical Joey and Ron (Composer: Joel Esher).

To post a comment, you must register and login.