Milwaukee Repertory Theater's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Begins Tonight

Milwaukee Repertory Theater brings its uplifting production of Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol to The Pabst Theater this December. Filled with beautiful music, stunning costumes, and joyous dancing, Dickens' masterpiece celebrates its 39th year as Wisconsin's favorite family holiday tradition. Audiences will be enthralled as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge takes a fantastical journey through Christmas Past, Present, and Future and is then transformed into a man of generosity and good will. Adapted by Joseph Hanreddy and Edward Morgan, Dickens' A Christmas Carol brightens the holiday season with its timeless message of hope, peace, and love, capturing the true spirit of the season. Proudly sponsored again by Wells Fargo, A Christmas Carol runs at The Pabst Theater from tonight, December 2 - December 24 and opens on Wednesday, December 3, 2014.

Rep Associate Artist Aaron Posner will once again direct this year's production of A Christmas Carol after adding exciting new creative touches to the last two years' heartwarming productions. Guest actor and Rep favorite, Jonathan Smoots, will make his debut as Ebenezer Scrooge, after appearing in the production 15 times and playing over 50 roles in A Christmas Carol since 1981, when he played the role of Young Scrooge. Also returning to this year's production of A Christmas Carol are Melody Betts, Michael Doherty, Marti Gobel, Beth Mulkerron, and Jonathan Wainwright. New to the cast this year are American Players Theatre actors Sarah Day and Brian Mani, as well as guest actors Robert R. Doyle, Chiké Johnson (A Raisin In the Sun, 2012/13), Ashleigh LaThrop and Chicago actress Hollis Resnik (End of the Rainbow, 2013/14).

"A Christmas Carol is one of the greatest redemptive stories of all time - if not the greatest," says Artistic Director Mark Clements. "I am so excited to have Aaron Posner back directing again this year and to have Jonathan Smoots play Ebenezer Scrooge. Jonathan is someone who really gets the play. Audiences are going to be in for a real treat. He's going to be a phenomenal Scrooge!"

Actor Jonathan Smoots added, "I'm super excited to play Scrooge in A Christmas Carol this year - it's a journey that calls on an actor's full range of dramatic AND comedic skills. Dickens' scary, funny, and truly moving story is such fun to be a part of!"

TICKETS

Tickets for A Christmas Carol are $25.00 - $85.00. (Prices subject to change.) Single Tickets for all of Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 2014/15 productions are now on sale and can be purchased by going online 24/7 at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, through The Rep's Ticket Office by calling 414-224-9490 or in person at 108 E. Wells Street. Group tickets are also available for purchase by calling Group Sales Coordinator Morgan Halverson at 414-290-5340.

To learn more about The Rep or its productions, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.

Melody Betts (Ghost of Christmas Present) performed the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present for the last two years. She was just seen playing one of the "Church Ladies" in The Rep's recent production of The Color Purple. Regional credits include: Sarah's Friend in Ragtime, Muzzy Van Hossmere in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Luce in The Boys from Syracuse, Sour Kangaroo in Seussical the Musical, Asaka in Once on This Island, Sister Hubert in Nunsense, Sylvia in All Shook Up, Trix the Avaitrix in The Drowsy Chaperone, Courtesan, Abbess in Comedy of Errors, Blue Fairy in Pinocchio, Tasha in Motherhood the Musical, and Mother of Mary in The Nativity. TV credits include Keisha in Chicago Code (FOX) and Talia Cook in Chicago PD (NBC). MFA (WIU), AEA, SAG-AFTRA.

Sarah Day (Mrs. Fezziwig/Mr. Twyce/Businesswoman/Scadger) is pleased to return to Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She has been a member of the Acting Company of American Players Theatre in Spring Green since 1986, and is a member of the Advisory Company of Forward Theater. Recent roles include Joan in The Year of Magical Thinking directed by Brenda DeVita, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest directed by William Brown, Ruth Steiner in Collected Stories, and Emmy in The Doctor's Dilemma directed by Aaron Posner.

Michael Doherty (Fred/Mr. Oatway) was last seen on the Milwaukee Rep stage as Mother's Younger Brother in Ragtime and as Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Off-Broadway credits include: Dublin by Lamplight (59E59/Inis Nua Theatre Company). Regional: Next to Normal and The History Boys (Arden Theatre Company); Assistance (The Wilma Theater); Mr. Hart and Mr. Brown (People's Light & Theatre Company); and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Theatre Horizon - Barrymore for Supporting Actor). His sketch comedy pilot, Los Jarochos, was a finalist last year in New York TV Festival's Comedy Central Pilot Competition and won Best Writing in the Independent Television and Film Festival.

Robert R. Doyle (Young Scrooge/Mr. Grimgrind/Mr. Topper) will be making his debut at Milwaukee Rep. His most recent credits are The Newspaper Man in Aaron Posner's production of his own adaptation of Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma, Balthazar in Much Ado About Nothing, and Friar John in Romeo & Juliet (American Players Theatre). Other credits include Gonzalo in The Tempest (Asylum Theatre Company/ RSC Open Stages Project), Pistol and King of France in Henry V, Macbeth in Macbeth (Long Island Shakespeare Festival), and Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac (Royal Productions Ltd.).

Marti Gobel (Mrs. Cratchit/Mrs. Sidebottom) is Producing Artistic Director and a founding member of UPROOTED theatre and proud member of Actors' Equity Association. Stage credits include: Milwaukee Shakespeare, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Children's Theater, Forward Theatre, UPROOTED theatre, Next Act Theatre, and Theatre Lila. She plays an ongoing role as the Civil Rights suffragist, Ida B. Wells, for the Kenosha Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is often featured in local commercials and voice-overs. She appeared in the short film, Spare Change, as well as the web-series Gettin' Grown, both directed by the award-winning film director Aaron Greer; and Faith Flix's Come Follow Me. National television credits include NBC's Chicago PD.

Chiké Johnson (Marley/Old Joe/Reverend Waghorn) most recently appeared in Goodman Theatre's production of Meet Vera Stark and Milwaukee Rep's production of Raisin In the Sun. His New York credits include a Broadway production of A Time To Kill; Manhattan Theatre Club's Wit on Broadway; and Off-Broadway's Lost in the Stars in New York City Center's Encores! He also appeared in the Off- Broadway production of Ruined. Some of his other Chicago credits include: Sizwe Banzi is Dead (Court Theatre) and The Crucible, The Unmentionables, and Huck Finn (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). Regional credits include: a revival of The Unmentionables (Yale Repertory Theatre); Topdog/Underdog (Renaissance Theaterworks); King Lear (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Home (In Tandem Theatre); Master Harold and the Boys (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre); and Smoldering Fires (First Stage Children's Theater). Film credits include: Friends with Benefits, Sleepwalk with Me, and The Machinist. TV credits include: Law & Order, Girls, Veep, and Prison Break.

Ashleigh LaThrop (Belle/Lucy) is making her Milwaukee Rep debut. Previous Wisconsin credits include Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Renaissance Theaterworks and UPROOTED theatre) as well as two seasons at American Players Theatre where her favorite productions include As You Like It, The Critic, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Cure at Troy. A Chicago native, LaThrop has appeared in Motortown (Steep Theatre); Metamorphoses (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Yellowmoon (Writers' Theatre); In the Continuum (Pegasus Players); The Twins Would Like to Say (Dog and Pony Theatre Company); and The Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). This spring she will appear in the USA network comedy Sirens. LaThrop is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois and the School at Steppenwolf.

Brian Mani (Mr.Fezziwig/Mr. Philpot/Businessman/Mudd) is returning to The Rep and A Christmas Carol, having performed in the production in 2007. He is a Core Company member at American Players Theatre, having just completed his 15th season there. Recent APT shows Include The Doctor's Dilemma, American Buffalo, Skylight, Twelfth Night, Of Mice and Men, and the title role in Timon of Athens. He performs regularly around Milwaukee as well. Favorite plays performed with the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre include 'Art', The Lion in Winter, A Lesson from Aloes, and The Sum of Us. Roles with Renaissance Theaterworks include Honour, Blackbird, and The Dig. Last spring he appeared as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof with the Madison Children's Theatre.

Beth Mulkerron (Catherine/Mrs. Oatway/Cook) is grateful to be returning to A Christmas Carol after her run as Belle last year. Previous shows with The Rep include Hula Hoop Sha-Boop and Ragtime. She has performed across the country including appearances Off-Broadway, in concert with Davis Gaines, and locally at The Fireside, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Optimist Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park, and Skylight Music Theatre. Television and voice-over credits include Miller, GE, the Wisconsin Lottery, and NBC. Beth has also appeared in independent films, and has enjoyed recording extensively for Hal Leonard. Mulkerron studied Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music and received her BFA from Florida State. She is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

Hollis Resnik (Ghost of Christmas Past/Mrs. Dilber/Madeline) was last seen at Milwaukee Rep in End of the Rainbow, Love's Labor's Lost, The Norman Conquests, and Arcadia. Most recently she has been on the national tour of Sister Act as the Mother Superior. Other national tours include LES MISERABLES, Thoroughly Modern Mille, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Resnik resides in Chicago where most recently she appeared in Angels in America at Court Theatre, and as Carlotta in Follies at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other regional credits include: Candide (Goodman Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.); Light in the Piazza (Arena Stage); and Grey Gardens (Philadelphia Theatre Company). Other Chicago roles include The Little Foxes, The Learned Ladies, Hay Fever, Titus Andronicus, Man of La Mancha, and An Ideal Husband all at Court Theatre; Wings and A Little Night Music at Goodman Theatre; and several appearances at Ravinia Festival. She is the recipient of a Helen Hayes Award, 12 Joseph Jefferson Awards, and two Sarah Siddons Awards. She has recorded her own solo CD called Make Someone Happy and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

Jonathan Smoots (Ebenezer Scrooge) returns with delight to participate once again in the telling of this remarkable story. His first A Christmas Carol was at MRT in 1981, (he played Young Scrooge and Topper), in Nagle Jackson's first Rep adaptation. Other Milwaukee Rep credits include: In the Next Room or the vibrator play (Mr. Daldry); Speaking in Tongues (Pete/Neal/John); The Seafarer (Mr. Lockhart); The Voysey Inheritance (Major Booth); A Doll's House (Torvald); Arsenic and Old Lace (Jonathan Brewster); The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Pato); and An Ideal Husband (Sir Robert Chiltern). As a charter member, and later, a resident actor, at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Smoots has played dozens of roles over 24 seasons. In the summer of 2013, he was Joe Keller in All My Sons and Mr. Rice in Molly Sweeney. This past summer he joined the acting company of the Utah Shakespeare Festival to play three roles in rotation.

Jonathan Wainwright (Bob Cratchit/Mr. Sidebottom) returns to A Christmas Carol and the role of Bob Cratchit once again. He was seen as Roderigo in The Rep's powerful production of Othello; as Vern in the world premiere of Broken and Entered this past fall for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; and as Sam in Grace at Next Act Theatre. Favorite roles at Next Act Theatre include Bobby in Coyote on a Fence, Clifford in Sideman, and Kerry Max Cook in The Exonerated.

Members of The Rep's Artistic Intern Ensemble who appear in this year's production of A Christmas Carol include: Andrew Carlyle (Vendor/Milkman/Future); Katherine Duffy (Ensemble/Fezziwig Daughter); India Gurley (Vendor/Fezziwig Daughter); Taurean Hogan (Ensemble/Mourner); Jennifer Latimore (Ensemble); Josiah Laubenstein (Ensemble); Nick Narcisi (Ensemble); Vallea Woodbury (Ensemble).

The cast of A Christmas Carol has 20 child actors. The children's cast includes: Austin Bock (Ensemble); Amalia Cecsarini (Tiny Tim); Miranda Cecsarini (Ensemble); Eloise Field (Ensemble); Freedom Gobel (Martha Cratchit); Jamaica Gobel (Peter); Kemet Gobel (Ensemble); Nya (Ensemble); Carlos Meyers (Dick Wilkins); Chantae Miller (Mary Cratchit); Georgina Pink (Ensemble); Leah Schiman (Fan); Gabe Smith (Boy Scrooge), Hope Stiverson (Alice); Abby Thompson (Ensemble); Jack Trettin (Smudge); Josie Trettin (Ensemble); Victoria (Tory) Trettin (Ensemble); Anthony Wells (Ignorance); Claire Zempel (Belinda Cratchit).

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