Larry Yando to Return as 'Scrooge' for 10th Time in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Goodman; Cast Set!

Ten directors, eight Ebenezer Scrooges and 34 Tiny Tims later, Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol celebrates 40 years as Chicago's long-standing holiday tradition, enjoyed by more than 1.5 million people, November 18 - December 31.

Now in his fifth year, Artistic Associate Henry Wishcamper directs Charles Dickens' universal tale of hope and redemption with a cast of 25, featuring Larry Yando in his 10th turn as Ebenezer Scrooge, Paris Strickland in her Goodman debut as the theater's first female Tiny Tim and a line-up of newcomers and returning favorites.

As part of the milestone production, the Goodman partners with Autism Speaks-Chicago to offer its first-ever sensory-friendly performance on December 30 for families with members who have autism or other social, cognitive and physical challenges that create sensory sensitivities.

A Christmas Carol appears November 18 - December 31; press/opening is November 27 at 7pm. Tickets ($25 - $112; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Carol, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 N. Dearborn).

Tickets (starting at $15, with promo code SENSORY) and resource materials, lobby and seating maps for the December 30 performance are now available at GoodmanTheatre.org/SensoryPerformance.

"We're extremely proud to present the 40th annual production of A Christmas Carol. The ability to share this story each year with audiences is an enormous privilege and has unquestionably been the highlight of my life in the theater," said Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who established the production as an annual offering in 1978-a time when only a handful of U.S. theaters produced it. "For all of us at the Goodman, A Christmas Carol is much more than a holiday entertainment or diversion. In fact, we believe that Charles Dickens' story promotes values that are universal and true everywhere in the world-compassion, understanding, love, empathy, forgiveness and redemption. I am grateful to all of the countless artists, professionals and patrons who make it possible."

In addition to Yando, returning cast members include: Kareem Bandealy as Narrator/Young Scrooge/Scrooge Alternate; Ariana D. Burks as Martha Cratchit; Lisa Gaye Dixon as Ghost of Christmas Present; Joe Foust as Jacob Marley; J. Salomé Martinez as Abe; Ron E. Rains as Bob Cratchit; Sadieh Rifai as Belle; Penelope Walker as Mrs. Fezziwig; and Jonah D. Winston as Mr. Fezziwig- and musicians Justin Amolsch, Andrew Coil, Greg Hirte and Malcolm Ruhl. The newcomers include Breon Arzell as Dick Wilkins; Molly Brennan as Ghost of Christmas Past; Ali Burch as Frida; Meighan Gerachis as Schoolteacher; and Michele Vazquez as Mrs. Cratchit.

The young performers in A Christmas Carol, cast from hundreds of Chicagoland children who auditioned, also include Margaret Chong, 10 (Chicago), as Emily Cratchit; Andrea Crisp, 10 (Darien), as Belinda Cratchit; Cameron Goode, 15 (Chicago), as Boy Scrooge; Kei, 9 (Chicago), as Turkey Boy; and Aaron Stone, 14 (Round Beach Lake), returning as Peter Cratchit.

Dickens' holiday classic is the iconic tale of greedy businessman Ebenezer Scrooge, whose sizable bank account is only matched by his disdain for the holidays. One Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts who take him on a spectacular adventure through his past, present and future, helping him rediscover the joys of life, love and friendship.

Goodman Theatre is a premier not-for-profit organization distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and civic engagement. Led by Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, the theater's artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres in the past three decades), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics (celebrated revivals include Falls' productions of Death of a Salesman and The Iceman Cometh ). Goodman Theatre artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards, over 160 Jeff Awards and many more accolades. In addition, the Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson's "American Century Cycle" and its annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this season, has created a new generation of theatergoers. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production partner with local off-Loop theaters and national and international companies by providing financial support or physical space for a variety of artistic endeavors.

Committed to three core values of Quality, Diversity and Community, the Goodman proactively makes inclusion the fabric of the institution and develops education and community engagement programs that support arts as education. This practice uses the process of artistic creation to inspire and empower youth, lifelong learners and audiences to find and/or enhance their voices, stories and abilities. The Goodman's Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of such programming, most offered free of charge, and has vastly expanded the theater's ability to touch the lives of Chicagoland citizens (with 85% of youth participants coming from underserved communities) since its 2016 opening.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago's cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family's legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth's family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation of the new Goodman center in 2000.

Today, Goodman Theatre leadership also includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Rebecca Gilman, Henry Godinez, Dael Orlandersmith, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, ReGina Taylor, Henry Wishcamper and Mary Zimmerman. David W. Fox, Jr. is Chair of Goodman Theatre's Board of Trustees, Cynthia K. Scholl is Women's Board President and Justin A. Kulovsek is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

Photo Credit: Liz Lauren

 

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