Stage Notes

November 17, 2009/Hartford, CT…Ghosts will once again take flight, hearts will be forever warmed, and audiences will again be amazed and delighted this holiday season as Hartford Stage announced today the 12^th annual production of New England’s best-loved holiday tradition, Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas.  The Tony Award-winning theatre, under the artistic direction of Michael Wilson, will again feature special flying effects in the festive production, which runs December 3 - 30.  Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly companions fly through the air to enhance the wondrous holiday magic of this timeless tale.  Hartford Stage favorite Bill Raymond returns this season as Scrooge for all evening and 2:00 p.m. matinee performances, and Gustave Johnson will again lead the talented cast as Scrooge at student matinees.  Seen by nearly a quarter million people since its inception in 1998, Hartford Stage’s A Christmas Carol has rapidly become the theatre’s most popular production of all time and Connecticut’s favorite yuletide entertainment.  Due to the ever-increasing demand for A Christmas Carol tickets, this season’s run is again being extended a week, through December 30, to accommodate families and visitors who want to see the production during the school vacation week between Christmas and New Year’s.  New this year is a special family-friendly performance on December 12 that will give younger children an opportunity to meet the ghostly apparitions before the performance and get acclimated to the production’s spooky effects.

A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the heartless miser who discovers the true meaning of the holiday season after a Christmas Eve haunting.  Featuring all of Charles Dickens’ well-known characters (Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future), Michael Wilson’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved masterpiece is both a chilling ghost story and a heartwarming holiday event for children ages 8 to 108.  Principal Production Sponsor of A Christmas Carol is ING. Additional support is provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. 
Since its arrival in Hartford, A Christmas Carol has garnered rave reviews not only from audiences, but from critics as well.  The Hartford Courant calls A Christmas Carol at Hartford Stage, “the most sought after holiday experience going . . . It widens the eyes and hearts of children while redelivering adults to the most magical Christmases of their lives.”  The Waterbury Republican-American raves, “This production is the perfect reason for taking a break from holiday shopping and gift-wrapping.  The sights, the songs, and the swirling dancers will lift your holiday spirit and entertain your whole family.”  The Meriden Record-Journal states, “Wilson’s shimmering, spectral and spectacular vision of the Charles Dickens classic is a holiday must-see for Connecticut families.  The Victorian tale of the miserly Scrooge who comes to know the true spirit of Christmas during one night of phantasmagorical revelations was never better told.”
Critics have reserved special accolades for the production’s Scrooge, the dynamic Bill Raymond, returning to the role for the tenth time.  The Hartford Courant states, “Bill Raymond, the spry, hilarious actor, tore the house down . . . It is clear he is having a ball, and the joy is infectious.”  The Hartford Advocate raves, “This A Christmas Carol is both scary and laugh-out-loud funny, thanks in no small part, to the way Bill Raymond plays Scrooge.”  The Meriden Record-Journal writes, “One could ask for no more perfect a Scrooge than the amazingly inventive Bill Raymond who throws himself body and soul into this role he owns at Hartford Stage.”  His credits include NBC’s Ed, the recent Broadway revival of Gypsy with Patti Lupone, the Off-Broadway smash Wonder of the World opposite Sarah Jessica Parker, and the movies Michael Clayton with George Clooney, Dogville featuring Nicole Kidman, The Hurricane starring Denzel Washington, Summer of Sam, and The Ref.  Mr. Raymond has also been seen at Hartford Stage in Eugene O’Neil’s masterpiece, A Moon for the Misbegotten.

At student matinees and other selected performances, Gustave Johnson returns as Scrooge for the sixth year.  Mr. Johnson has also appeared at Hartford Stage in Electra.  His other credits include The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel on Broadway, To Kill a Mockingbird at the Huntington Theatre, and numerous productions at A.R.T. and other regional theatres across the country.  Featured in the cast is Bill Kux, who will again play the Ghost of Jacob Marley and Scrooge’s housekeeper Mrs. Dilber.  Mr. Kux has appeared at Hartford Stage in Our Town, The Night of the Iguana, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue, and Summer and Smoke.  Robert Hannon Davis, a professor of Acting, Voice, and Speech at The Hartt School, again plays Bob Cratchit, and will be Mrs. Dilber for student matinees.  Mr. Davis has appeared at Hartford Stage in Our Town, Brand:NEW, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  Rebecka Jones returns in the role of Mrs. Cratchit.  Also returning are University of Hartford theatre professor Johanna Morrison (Summer and Smoke) as the Spirit of Christmas Past; Natalie Brown (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue) as Mrs. Fezziwig (among other parts); and University of Hartford professor Michelle Hendrick as Belle.  Michael Bakkensen (Noises Off) joins the cast this year in the role of Scrooge’s warm-hearted nephew, Fred.

The cast also features more that two dozen local children, as well as several “stars of tomorrow” making their Hartford Stage debut – members of the BFA Acting Program at The Hartt School.  Acting students participating as A Christmas Carol cast members include Kyle Brand, Chelsea Farthing, Shaylan Glezjar, April Glick, Brock Harris, Nathan Johnson, Sarah Killough, Salvatore Mitsou, Patrick Morrisey, Andrea Rice, Alex Shamas, and Robert Patrick Sheire

Tickets for A Christmas Carol are $25 - $66; children 12 and under save $10.  A limited number of $10 “Ten Spot” tickets are also available for off-peak and Tuesday and Wednesday performances, making Hartford Stage among the most affordable entertainment options in Connecticut. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more by calling 860-520-7244.  What a Rush! half-price tickets to A Christmas Carol may be purchased, subject to availability, beginning two hours before each performance in person at the box office only.  Patrons must request What a Rush! tickets at the time of purchase to receive this discount.  Tickets for students are $10 off the full price when purchased in advance.  Students of Capital Community College may purchase one $10 ticket to A Christmas Carol upon presentation of their student ID at the Hartford Stage box office.  All discount programs are subject to availability and cannot be combined with other discount offers.  Hartford Stage has wheelchair accessible seating, assistive listening devices and other amenities.  For more information, please call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151.  Hartford Stage is located at 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford with parking located in the MAT Garage, directly adjacent to the theatre.  The theatre is accessible from I-84 and I-91.

Key Dates and Information

• Tickets for A Christmas Carol are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 860-527-5151 or by visiting www.hartfordstage.org.
• Tickets for A Christmas Carol are $25 - $66; children 12 and under save $10. 
• Press Opening for A Christmas Carol is Friday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m.
• Santa Claus will be in attendance on the A Christmas Carol set after the matinee performances on December 12 and 19 for free family photo opportunities.
• The Pay What You Can matinee for A Christmas Carol is Saturday, December 5 at 2:00 p.m.
• Family Day for A Christmas Carol is Saturday, December 12.  Hartford Stage teaching artists have planned special activities for younger children to help them explore the magic of the production.  Children’s activity fee is $20; snack provided.
• The Hartford Stage production staff hosts Behind the Magic Sunday, December 13 following the 2:00 p.m. matinee.  It’s a behind the scenes look at the special effects that make snow fall and ghosts soar through the air.  $10 general admission or $5 with the purchase of a matinee ticket.  Children under 12 are free.
• A Christmas Carol Character Brunch takes place Sunday, December 20 at noon at the Pond House Café.  Join your favorite characters from the production at a special holiday brunch and continue the holiday cheer at the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance.  Brunch price:  $14 for children, $18 for adults (A Christmas Carol ticket not included).
• The production runs through December 30.  Evening performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.  There is no evening performance December 25. Matinee performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.  There will be additional 2:00 matinees on December 24, 28, 29, and 30 and additional 7:30 performances on December 3, 20, and 27.  For a specific schedule of performances, call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

#  #  #