Words and Image courtesy of Virginia Stage Company.
Virginia Stage Company’s beloved holiday classic returns in a new small cast rendition to bring some much needed holiday cheer. Follow Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey through time with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as he learns about redemption, kindness, and compassion. Filled with music and mirth, this timeless play is recommended for all ages and is fun for the whole family to enjoy. In order to adhere to health and safety guidelines, this production will include a small cast of VSC favorites playing multiple roles and will tentatively be performed live to a limited group of people at the Wells Theatre in Downtown Norfolk. The production will be recorded, providing a free streaming option available the week of Christmas.
Pending city approval, A Christmas Carol will begin performances on Wednesday, December 16 through Thursday, December 24. Thanks to the generosity of PNC, tickets are free to the general public but seats will be assigned at the box office’s discretion to adhere to socially-distanced protocols. Reservations for the free tickets are mandatory and there will be a flat fee charged for any unclaimed reservations. Ticket requests can be made at www.vastage.org. Face coverings will be required for all in-person attendees and a pre-performance health questionnaire will be provided. In addition to the in-person and streaming viewing options, support provided by PNC will also enable VSC to take a version of the production into the Hampton Roads community for select performances in collaboration with VSC community partners.
“We are honored to sponsor this year’s Virginia Stage Company production of A Christmas Carol,” said PNC Bank Hampton Roads Commercial Banking Group Manager Jeff Clemons. “Whether it’s ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Bah Humbug’, this adaptation of the popular holiday story will be fun for the whole family.”
Interviews can be arranged with members of the cast, crew, creative team, or staff of Virginia Stage Company.
‘Tis the season for holiday shopping! VSC presents its first-ever online shop called Mistletoe Market. This online marketplace features local artisans and small businesses that offer limited inventory to purchase as holiday gifts. A mini-fundraiser for VSC, the Mistletoe Market also supports these artists and small businesses through a profit-sharing model. Learn more at: www.vastage.org/mistletoemarket
Virginia Stage Company is southeastern Virginia’s leading theatre destination, normally serving an audience of over 58,000 annually both at the Wells Theatre and throughout the community. Since the shutdown in March, 2020, the VSC has pivoted to online content and has shared over 7,000 hours of free virtual experiences that have served more than 13,000 participants across the country. Virginia Stage Company's mission is to "enrich, educate, and entertain the region by creating and producing theatrical art of the highest quality.”
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
See below for information on the cast and creative team:
PATRICK MULLINS (Scrooge/Director/Adaptor) is the Director of Public Works at Virginia Stage Company. Recent directing and adaptation projects include The Tempest with music by Jake Hull and puppetry by Paperhand Puppet Intervention; The Taming of the Shrew, a synth-pop fantasia mixing Shakespeare’s text with the music of Jacki Paolella; Beneath the Surface, an immersive performance event at the Hermitage Museum and Gardens; The Tempest with music by Jean Sibelius performed with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra at Chrysler Hall; Swingtime Salute, a 1940's music revue on the deck of the USS Wisconsin; and Midsummer Fantasy Festival – an immersive Shakespearean festival/visual art installation/performance event in Town Point Park. Patrick has directed work across the country, is a professor at Old Dominion University, and is a frequent collaborator with Norfolk State University Theatre Company. He holds an MFA in acting from the University of South Carolina. pmull.com
MEREDITH NOËL (Ensemble) is an alumna of Norfolk State University where she majored in English and Theatre Performance. She is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. She has previously appeared in the Virginia Stage Company productions of The Hampton Years, Oliver Twist, and The Wiz as well as the Norfolk State University Theatre Company productions of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, A Raisin in the Sun, Dreamgirls, Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, A Musical Tribute to Whitney Houston, For Colored Girls, and Ruined. She is the recipient of the NSU Theatre Company 2015 Best Supporting Actress in a Play and 2016 Best Supporting Actress in a Musical awards.
RYAN CLEMENS (Ensemble) is proud to work with VSC on the main stage and in the Education Department's touring shows, classes, and workshops. Patrons may remember Ryan from various VSC productions: Mr. Wormwood in Matilda; Trinculo in The Tempest; Lieutenant Brannigan in Guys & Dolls; Vinnie in The Odd Couple; Mortimer in The Fantasticks; Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit, Old Joe, Charity Man or Fezziwig in previous years' versions of A Christmas Carol; or as his famous relative Sam Clemens in his one-man show Meet Mark Twain. Originally from Wyoming, Ryan began his career in a travelling Wild West show. He has worked at theaters around the country, including several seasons locally with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Tidewater Stage Company, and he regularly performs with Plan B Comedy at Zeiders American Dream Theatre. Ryan holds a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University and an MFA in Acting from Regent University. He also teaches at ODU. (Many thanks and a huge heap of love to his wonderful wife.) www.clemensistwain.com.
TYREE JONES (Ensemble/Pianist/Music Director) is a rising senior at Norfolk State University where he will graduate this upcoming May with a degree in Drama & Theatre. During his time at Norfolk State, he has had the privilege to serve as Music Director for such productions as Once on this Island, The Color Purple, A Tribute to Motown, and many other productions for which he has been awarded Excellence in Music Direction. Under the direction of Professor Anthony Stockard, he recently had the pleasure to serve as the first Student Director of the theatre company's annual hit musical Black Nativity. In addition, he has performed as Headmaster Marrow in Choir Boy at the historic Attucks Theatre for the inaugural Norfolk Theatre Festival. Tyree is no stranger to the Virginia Stage Company. He has served as a musician for The Tempest, A Starry Night Gala, and Santaland Diaries, and most recently in Beneath the Surface at the Hermitage Museum and Gardens. He is so ecstatic to be a part of this annual production of A Christmas Carol and he wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season and New Year! God Bless us! Everyone!
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