A Christmas Carol
Nov. 21-Dec. 23, 2014
For tickets, call (402) 553-0800, visit the OCP Box Office or click here.
Cast:
Jerry Longe: EBENEZER SCROOGE
Cale Bracker: FRED
Don Harris: JAKE/MAN AT CART
Sara Planck: NELL
Steve Krambeck: BOB CRATCHIT/DICK WILKINS
Michael Farrell: 1ST CHARITY MAN/GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT/BAKER
Gregg Learned: 2ND CHARITY MAN/MR. FEZZIWIG/MAN AT CART /TOY SHOP KEEPER
Ian Hill: PETER CRATCHIT
Addison LaFrance: FRANCIS CRATCHIT
Morgan Ryan: BELINDA CRATCHIT
Mackenzie Reidy: TIM CRATCHIT
Don Keelan-White: JACOB MARLEY/MAN AT CART
Julie Huff: GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST/MYRTLE CROW
Kole Rowan:1ST SCHOOL BOY
Nikolas Loontjer: 2ND SCHOOL BOY/MARLEY MINION
Grant Schneider: 3RD SCHOOL BOY
Henry Wisneski: EBBY/MARLEY MINION
Evelyn Hill: FAN
Marguerite Bennett: MRS. FEZZIWIG/MRS. DILBER/BAKER’S WIFE
Adam Haverman: YOUNG SCROOGE
Maria Naylon: BELLE FEZZIWIG
Emily Mokrycki: MRS. CRATCHIT
Sierra Lancaster: MARTHA CRATCHIT
Lauren Anderson: MILLIE
Kathleen Pohlman: LUCY
Sean Michael Hill: TOPPER
Grayson Longe: BOY WITH SLED/MARLEY MINION
Alexis Reynolds: LITTLE BO PEEP
Natalie Reynolds: LITTLE BOY BLUE
Joe Mokrycki: POULTERER
Ahmad Ealy: GREENERY VENDOR/MARLEY MINION
Jason DeLong: BEGGAR
Samantha Brown: CHESTNUT VENDOR
James Spain: ORGAN GRINDER
Jenna Hager: ENSEMBLE
Josh Davis: ENSEMBLE
CHILDREN’S ENSEMBLE
Emma Gould
Hannah-Kate Kinney
Anna Reilly
Isabella Reilly
Amina Teri
Grace Titus
Sisters take the stage as dancing dolls
Sisters
Natalie and Alexis Reynolds are taking the stage together as Little Bo Peep
and Little Boy Blue in this season’s A Christmas Carol. Although neither of them has been on the Omaha Community Playhouse stage before, they are no strangers to being in the spotlight.
Natalie, 11
and Alexis, 10 were both enrolled in dance by their parents at young ages. They
attend Cherrie Anderson School of Music and Dance in Millard where they are
competitive dancers. They participate in six competitions a year, including
nationals, and each dedicate 11 hours a week to practices.
With roles in
A Christmas Carol (both girls are
also in the children’s ensemble) the girls are even busier than usual. Now that performances have begun, they dedicate 30 hours a week to the show and
their dance practices.
Not only is
this the girls’ first time being in the show, this will be their first time
seeing the show as well. The suggestion to try out for it came from their
mother Tammy. “Last year I saw an hour special on how A Christmas Carol came together and found it interesting,” she
said. “I thought it was something the girls would be good at, so I asked if
they would be interested and they were.”
The sisters
are excited to be part of the show and when asked what they were most excited
for they both exclaimed “dancing dolls!”
“It’s our
solo,” said Natalie. “All eyes will be on us.”
It is also a
chance for the girls to work together. They will be able to help each other out
and can practice together on the dance floor that they have at home. “It was
nice that we both got a part and it wasn’t one part that we had to fight over,”
said Natalie.
After landing
their roles in A Christmas Carol,
both girls are interested in pursuing more opportunities through OCP; Natalie
mentioned that she is thinking about doing some Broadway shows. For the time
being, they are excited about the show.
See A Christmas Carol at the Omaha Community
Playhouse Nov. 21-Dec. 23, Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2
p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $36 for adults and $25 for students before Dec.
15 and $40 for adults and $29 for students Dec. 15 – 23. For groups of 12 or more,
tickets for adults are $32 and tickets for students are $18. To purchase
tickets or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, click here or visit the Box Office
located in the southeast corner of the Omaha Community Playhouse at 6915 Cass St.
Story by Madison Denkinger
McGuigan holiday traditions
The
McGuigan brothers have been performing Yesterday and Today, a tribute to The Beatles, at the Omaha Community Playhouse for seven
years now; it has become a staple during the OCP holiday season. Although
performing in their hometown is a big part of their own holidays, it is not the
only tradition they take part in.
What are some of your holiday season
traditions? What is your favorite?
- Matthew: Every year we put up a Beatles-themed Christmas tree. It's always fun getting a new ornament to hang on the tree.
- Ryan: Putting up the Christmas decorations. I think even as an adult, you feel like a kid.
- Billy: For me, December and the holidays mean the Omaha Community Playhouse. For over 10 years, I’ve spent every December in the Howard Drew Theatre getting to perform in shows that I love, while spending time with audiences that come back year after year. My favorite part is meeting the audience members after the show. It’s like an annual high school and family reunion all in one!
What do you look forward to during the
holiday season?
- Matthew: Spending quality with my wife, Christine, and son, Lennon. After touring all year, it's always nice to be home in December.
- Ryan: I look forward to the full month of Yesterday and Today at OCP. It's nice to be working from home during the holiday season.
- Billy: I love the holiday season energy that seems to be in the air. People hustling in the mall, families making holiday meal plans in the grocery store and bells ringing in the cool air. There’s just something about it that is unique to this time of year.
Are there any traditions that you have
continued from your childhood?
- Matthew: We always open presents on Christmas Eve. It's always hard to not give each other gifts before Christmas.
- Ryan: The Carpenters Christmas, a McGuigan staple. Almost as much as The Beatles
- Billy: The Christmas Mouse story! This is a story that our dad and his brothers used to tell us every year! It’s really just an odd story about a mouse that sees Santa and becomes his helper…my brothers and I told that story to my kids when they were little. You gotta love a passed-down family tradition!
Are there any traditions from your past
that you miss?
- Matthew: Probably just the excitement of being a kid, anticipating what gifts you will receive. I will say it's more fun being a parent around the holidays and seeing the joy on my son's face when he sees all the gifts he's about to receive.
- Ryan: I miss the
times of sitting around the Christmas tree with all the lights in the
house off except for the tree and all of us sitting there listening
to
The Carpenters Christmas and being in awe of the illumination. It's probably the only time the McGuigan household was ever calm or placid. - Billy: Growing up, our Christmases were always spent in Florida with our grandparents. This not only meant great weather for the holidays, but it always meant huge family gatherings. About 25 to 30 of us would cram into a living room and an older family member would act as obnoxious Santa Claus and yell everybody’s name while we would all laugh and tell stories. Such a fantastic time!
Make
Yesterday and Today part of your
holiday tradition, Dec 5, 2014-Jan. 4, 2015 at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Thursday-Saturday
shows are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows are at 6:30 p.m. with a performance at
2 p.m. on Dec. 14. Tickets are $38 for single tickets and $32 for groups. There
will also be a 7 p.m. performance and a 10 p.m. performance on Dec. 31. Cake
and punch will be served on New Year’s Eve with a champagne toast at midnight;
tickets will be $50 for the 7 p.m. show and $75 for the 10 p.m. show. To
purchase tickets or for more information, call (402) 552-0800, click here or
visit the Box Office located in the southeast corner of the Omaha at 6915 Cass St.
Story
by Madison Denkinger
"A Christmas Carol" kids transition from First Stage to the Mainstage
Kids come to
the Omaha Community Playhouse
First Stage Theatre Academy
to learn all aspects of theatre. We are excited to have two First Stage
students returning to OCP to apply what they learned in this season’s A Christmas Carol!
Every summer
OCP takes 30-40 kids into its First Stage two-week intensive. During the two
weeks, students work with directors, musicians and choreographers; take classes
in playwriting, scene study, improv and more; and produce and perform an
original play.
The program
creates “a safe space for self exploration as students” and allows them to
experience all areas of theatre according to OCP Education Director Denise
Chapman. “It is designed to push students into leadership roles and is a way
for them to use theatre and the arts to explore life.”
The program
does not push its students into OCP auditions, but there always seems to be a
few that have a real passion for theatre and seek out the opportunities. This
year, those students are Henry Wisneski and Ahmad Ealy.
 |
| Ahmad Ealy, second from left, with other First Stage scholarship recipients |
Ahmad was
first inspired by the theatre environment when his mother began working at OCP.
In 2012, he saw A Christmas Carol for
the first time and thought it was something he might like to pursue one day. “I
got the vibe that I wanted to try out for it but I never knew when auditions
were,” said Ahmad.
Ahmad, a
freshman at Westside
High School, auditioned
this fall and now has four roles in the production including Greenery Vendor,
Marley Minion, Shepherd and children’s ensemble. “First Stage helped me in a great
way,” he said. “I learned to be a better actor, singer and how to interact with
people on stage.” Henry, an eighth-grader at Lewis and Clark Middle School,
will be playing Young Ebby, a Marley Minion and Wise Man.
 |
| Henry Wisneski performing in OCP's First Stage Theatre Academy |
“There is
always a sense of pride when you see students from your program hit the Mainstage,”
said Denise. “You helped plant the seed that helped them along their
journey.”
We are
excited to see Ahmad and Henry show off their passion and hard work in what is
sure to be a wonderful show. “[A
Christmas Carol] was spectacular back in 2012, but this seems like it is
going to be a really good season,” said Ahmad.
See A Christmas Carol at the Omaha Community
Playhouse Nov. 21-Dec. 23, Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2
p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $36 for adults and $25 for students before Dec.
15 and $40 for adults and $29 for students Dec. 15 – 23. For groups of 12 or
more, tickets for adults are $32 and tickets for students are $18. To purchase
tickets or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, click here or visit the
Box Office located in the southeast corner of the Omaha Community Playhouse at
6915 Cass St.
Article by Madison Denkinger
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