Milwaukee Rep
Milwaukee Rep to Reopen in April with In-Person Performances
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Cancels Live Performances through April and Reworks Announced Season Reset
MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER Offers Two Full Productions
November 19, 2020 (Milwaukee, WI) Milwaukee Rep is pleased to present two full productions of Christmas Carol available to stream this holiday season. First, from the video vault comes a never-before-seen recording of Mark Clements’ 2016 classic adaptation of A Christmas Carol from the historic Pabst Theater. This production is available to view for free December 1 – 24, 2020 as a gift to theater lovers worldwide. Just register at www.MilwaukeeRep.com to receive a free link.
Second, the fully realized production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol by Tom Mula starring Lee E. Ernst with an original soundscape by foley artist Dan Kazemi, under the direction of Artistic Director Mark Clements is available to stream December 10 – 24, 2020. Visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com to purchase a $20/household ticket and continue Milwaukee’s favorite Holiday tradition from the comfort of your own home.
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol is a one-person adaptation by Tom Mula featuring renowned actor Lee E. Ernst, who has played nearly 100 memorable roles at Milwaukee Rep. This intimate tour-de-force performance embodies the very heart of the beloved holiday classic celebrating love, hope and redemption.
Originally slated to be performed in front of a live audience in the Quadracci Powerhouse, in person performances of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol were cancelled due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and in response to the City of Milwaukee’s Public Health Order establishing Phase 4.2 of the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely Plan.
Milwaukee Rep has partnered with HMS Media, a 20-time Emmy Award-winning multimedia company specializing in the broadcast of live performance, to capture Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol from the Quadracci Powerhouse stage with multiple, high-definition cameras and produce the digital recording that can be streamed worldwide December 10 -24, 2020.
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol is a fully realized production with a creative team including direction by Artistic Director Mark Clements, music director and foley artist Dan Kazemi (West Side Story, Hedwig, Milwaukee Rep), set design by Arnold Bueso (Freaky Friday, PCPA), lighting design by Jason Fassl (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Milwaukee Rep), costume design by Alexander B. Tecoma (West Side Story, Milwaukee Rep), and sound design by Andre Pluess (The Minutes, Steppenwolf).
Advance tickets for Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol are available for purchase now on www.MilwaukeeRep.com for $20/household. Once registered a unique link will be sent to the corresponding email on December 10. Viewers can choose to watch it anytime between December 10 -24, 2020. The purchase of a ticket or a tax- deductible donation to the Rep Rising Emergency Relief Campaign helps keep artists and staff employed while the theater heads into its tenth month of being closed due to COVID-19.
A Christmas Carol and Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol are presented by Wells Fargo and Jay Franke and David Herro. Additional support for Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol is provided by Executive Producers Richard and Jo Ann Beightol; Tom and Molly Duffey; Sandra and William Haack; and Saints Andrew and Mark Charitable Gift Trust. Media Sponsorship for both productions is provided by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel with additional support provided by United Performing Arts Fund.
For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
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Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex– the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret. For over six decades, Milwaukee Rep has been a centerpiece of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with productions ranging from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare to American Classics and New Works that are entertaining, inclusive and impactful. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.
Live Performances for Milwaukee Rep’s “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” Cancelled
Full Production to be Professionally Recorded for Digital Distribution
November 5, 2020 (Milwaukee, WI) — Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and in response to the City of Milwaukee’s Public Health Order establishing Phase 4.2 of the Moving Milwaukee Forward Safely Plan, Milwaukee Rep has cancelled all live performances of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol set to begin December 1. Through a unique partnership with the play’s creator, HMS Media and the talented artists involved in this project, the full production will be executed just as it would be for a live performance, filmed and distributed digitally worldwide.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the safety of our artists, patrons and staff has been our top priority,” stated Executive Director Chad Bauman. “To reopen safely, we needed to develop robust COVID-19 safety protocols and the virus spread in our community must be under control. We accomplished the first with a safety plan developed in consultation with leading doctors and epidemiologists, becoming one of the first theaters endorsed by all major unions to reopen for indoor performances. Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is beyond our control and conditions are not appropriate to reopen at this time.”
Milwaukee Rep will fully execute the production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol by Tom Mula from the building of a set, creation of sound and light cues, the development of a unique soundscape created by foley artist Dan Kazemi and the spellbinding performance of Lee E. Ernst. Once complete, HMS Media, a 20-time Emmy Award-winning multimedia company specializing in the broadcast of live performance, will record Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol with multiple, high-definition cameras and produce a digital recording that can be streamed worldwide.
“While it is heartbreaking that we must cancel live performances, I am excited about the opportunity to keep our artists employed during this exceptionally difficult time and give our patrons the opportunity to experience the incomparable Lee E. Ernst in this innovative take on Dickens’ classic,” said Artistic Director Mark Clements.
Patrons who purchased tickets to a live performance will automatically receive a full refund. Tickets to stream the digital production will be available for $20 per household. The exact date of when streaming will become available and how to purchase tickets will be announced soon.
Milwaukee Rep looks forward soon to having an environment that supports the return to live performances using its nationally recognized safety protocols.
For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com