Muskegon Civic Theatre to Kick Off Holiday Season With INSPECTING CAROL

Muskegon, MI Muskegon Civic Theatre kicks off its holiday celebration with a revival production of "Inspecting Carol" by Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Company. This seasonal farce was first performed in 2002 and is dedicated to Tom Harryman the original production's director.

"Inspecting Carol" takes place in a tiny, underfunded regional theatre company in a small midwestern town that may seem very familiar. "This show has enough 'A Christmas Carol' in it for you feel like you've crossed that off the holiday list and more than enough laughs to get you through the season," says the director, Jason Bertoia also MCT's managing director.

The theatre company of the Soapbox Playhouse is struggling to get their annual production of "A Christmas Carol," on the stage. The set and props are decades old as are the characters they all play including a Tiny Tim who is anything but tiny.

The entire cast holds their breath hoping Scrooge doesn't perform his entire role in another language, again and that the 20-year-old cardboard turkey doesn't fall apart. Not only is the production struggling but the finances are too: to quote the company's new Managing Director, Kevin Emory, played by Muskegon City Commissioner, Michael Ramsey, "the balance is negative and it could get more negative." Kevin may be trying to keep the company afloat but it is lead by the emotionally charged director, Zorah Bloch played by Martha Kallenbach. She just wants the company to be successful when the National Endowment for the Arts comes to inspect their artistic worthiness for funds.

The remaining cast includes stage manager and Zorah's right hand, MJ (Erin Mickelsen), Wayne Wellacre (Riley VanEss) the new and not so great actor, Larry Vauxhall (Bill Hicks) the actor with all the ideas, Dorothy Tree Hapgood (Robin Erdman) and her husband Sidney Carlton (Tim Salach), Phil Hewlit (Brennen Gorman) the unrequited lover of Zorah and company "wet blanket," Walter E. Parsons (Brandon Davis) the company's first ever Black actor playing all the ghosts, Luther Beatty (Daniel "DJ" Fearnley) the too old Tiny Tim, Bart Frances (Liam Knisley) the quiet background actor playing the male population of London and stage hand, and inspecting this ragtag group for the National Endowment of the Arts is Betty Andrews (Robin Beebee).

This zany production crashes on the Beardsley Theatre stage November 18 through December 4. Tickets for the production are $30. They are available online at www.muskegoncivictheatre.org, at the Frauenthal Box Office, or by calling (231) 727-8001. $15.00 Student rush tickets are available at the box office one hour before each production and group rates are available.

You can meet the cast and join them in a Christmas carol sing-a-long at 18th Amendment in Downtown Muskegon on November 26 after the show. The special "Inspector" cocktail is available now through December 4th!

Muskegon Civic Theatre is a nonprofit community theatre organization in its 38th year of producing exceptional and diverse theatre experiences for and by the Muskegon community.

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