A KOKANDY CHRISTMAS Begins Tonight at Theater Wit

Kokandy Productions invites you to pour yourself some eggnog and make yourself at home for a family-sized portion of holiday cheer at A KOKANDY CHRISTMAS, an evening of festive stories and songs old and new performed by five of Chicago's brightest musical theater talents: Emily Grayson (Melancholy Play, Titanic), Christina Hall (Sweet Smell of Success, The Wild Party), Garrett Lutz (Dogfight, The Full Monty), Jaymes Osbourne (Smokey Joe's Café, Dessa Rose) and Sasha Smith (The Wild Party, Plastic Revolution).

Kokandy Productions' first ever holiday show will play tonight, December 3 - 23, 2015 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, October 1, 2015 at www.kokandyproductions.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. The press opening is Friday, December 4 at 8 pm.

Created by Michael Potsic and Co-Artistic Director Allison Hendrix, A KOKANDY CHRISTMAS will feature new arrangements of musical favorites old and new by Aaron Benham and Michael Potsic, with direction by Michael Potsic and music direction by Aaron Benham.

The production team for A KOKANDY CHRISTMAS includes: Brandon Wardell (lighting design), Johnny Buranosky (props design) and Kait Smauels (stage manager).

IF YOU GO:

A KOKANDY CHRISTMAS

Created by: Michael Potsic and Co-Artistic Director Allison Hendrix

Musical arrangements by: Aaron Benham and Michael Potsic and

Director: Michael Potsic

Music Director: Aaron Benham

Cast: Emily Grayson, Christina Hall, Garrett Lutz, Jaymes Osbourne and Sasha Smith.

Location: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, December 3 at 8 pm

Press performance: Friday, December 4 at 8 pm

Regular run: Saturday, December 5 - Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Curtain Times: Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm & 7 pm. Please note: there will not be a 7 pm performance on Sunday, December 6, there will be an added performance on Tuesday, December 22 at 8 pm.

Tickets: Previews $15. Regular run $30. Tickets go on sale Thursday, October 1, 2015 at www.kokandyproductions.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Michael Potsic (Co-Creator/Arrangements/Director) has been previously seen in Rent (Paramount Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Theatre At The Center), Parade (BoHo Theatre) and Kokandy Productions' Assassins. Michael has written music and lyrics for AlphaBet Soup Productions, and his new musical Flight continues its development in Chicago. He is also a teaching artist with the Beverly Arts Center.

Aaron Benham (Arrangements/Music Director) is a local music director, conductor, arranger and composer. Previously with Kokandy: The Sweet Smell of Success. Other Chicago credits: Side Show, Putting it Together (Porchlight); The Wild Party (Jeff Award), Carrie, Dessa Rose (Bailiwick Chicago); Melancholy Play (Piven); We Three Lizas (About Face); Always Patsy Cline, revues of Marvin Hamlisch, the Andrews Sisters (Jeff Award), Cole Porter, Jule Styne (Theo Ubique); Parade, Gypsy (Harper College); as well as work with American Theatre Company, Chicago Opera Theatre, the New Colony, Northlight, Timeline and Writers. BFA, Emerson College.

Allison Hendrix (Co-Creator) is the director of Kokandy's New Works Initiative, serving as literary coordinator and dramaturg, and will direct next season's Heathers: The Musical. Previous Kokandy credits include Assassins (Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme), The Last Five Years (Cathy - Jeff Nomination, Principal Actress in a Musical) and The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Music Direction). She has also worked with companies including The Hypocrites (Into the Woods - Baker's Wife), Piven Theatre Workshop (Cities of Light - Music Director), Boho Theatre (Floyd Collins - Associate Music Director/Conductor), Bailiwick Chicago (Zanna, Don't) - Music Director), The Ruckus (director - Thank God for Music Stands Staged Reading Series), Village Players Theater (The Full Monty - Music Director) and Towle Theatre (Floyd Collins - Music Director and recipient of NIETF Award for Best Vocal Direction).

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theater to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theater artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theater community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of John D. Glover (Co-Artistic Director), Allison Hendrix (Co-Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer), Kory Danielson (Resident Music Director) and Jonathan Goldthwaite (Production Assistant).

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com.

Pictured: Michael Potsic, Aaron Benham, Allison Hendrix and Emily Grayson with (bottom, left to right) Christina Hall, Garrett Lutz, Jaymes Osbourne and Sasha Smith.

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