Celebrate 45 Years of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at South Coast Repertory

With special elements designed to enhance the theatergoing experience, South Coast Repertory celebrates 45 years of bringing Orange County the timeless tale of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Adapted by Jerry Patch and directed by Hisa Takakuwa, the beloved holiday tradition returns to the Segerstrom Stage Nov. 29-Dec. 28.

“One of the beautiful qualities of A Christmas Carol is that this annual visit to Victorian England feels timeless and eternally poignant,” Ivers said.  “For 45 years, this production has been a highlight for audiences and for SCR. It connects our work on stage to our incredible education programs through the Conservatory students who appear onstage alongside veteran artists. It demonstrates our commitment across several generations and keeps us close to our rich legacy of serving both production and community alike”

SCR marks the anniversary with enhancements designed to spread holiday joy, including a hot chocolate bar at every performance with 45th anniversary souvenir mugs and visits from Santa Claus on most weeknight performances. Other surprises are forthcoming.

“Our team at South Coast Repertory has created a Victorian winter wonderland to enhance your theatre experience this year and extend our holiday welcome a little further,” Appel said. “Orange County families will find many photo opportunities and added entertainment both on the terrace and inside our lobby spaces. All of this was made possible thanks to our 45th Anniversary Lead Producers of A Christmas Carol, Julianne, George, Stephanie and Lisa Argyros and the Argyros Family Foundation.”

SCR Founding Company Member Richard Doyle returns for his fifth year as Ebenezer Scrooge and his 40th year in the production, where he's played many different characters, including the Spirits of Christmas Past and Present, Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge's nephew Fred, and both solicitors. Doyle has also appeared in 131 SCR productions across its 62 seasons, including memorably The Tavern from SCR's Third Step Theatre (1973), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1989), A View From the Bridge (2005) and Kings (2018).

This is Takakuwa's fifth season directing the holiday classic. She served as assistant director for 14 years after also appearing in the production for 14 more. Her experience and skill working with the large cast of 34 actors, including 16 children who alternate performances, enhances the storytelling and theatrical experience. As director of SCR's Youth Conservatory, Takakuwa has directed numerous Summer Players and Teen Players productions, including Matilda The Musical, Into the Woods, Seussical, Spongebob The Musical, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and the world premiere of Cursed, among others. She directed Henry V, Twelfth Night and Shooting Stars at the Actors Co-op in Hollywood.

“For this 45th anniversary production, I am thrilled that we have some wonderful ‘new' cast members joining us again,” Takakuwa said. “Our ‘new' cast members have all appeared in A Christmas Carol at some point in their and our history and are happily returning home to SCR for the holidays this year. This carries on a wonderful tradition of actors moving and growing within the production over these many years. In fact most of the current company has played multiple roles during their tenures in the production, including Richard Doyle, Larry Bates, Bill McGuire, Richard Soto, Nick Slimmer, Jennifer Parsons, Erika Schindele, and Diana Burbano The company is truly a family of artists deeply invested in sharing Dickens' timeless story of redemption and the Christmas spirit with the families of Orange County.”

Joining Doyle in A Christmas Carol's cast are Louis Lotorto (Bob Cratchit), Michael Manuel (Spirit of Marley), Richard Soto (Spirit of Christmas Present), Jennifer Parsons (Spirit of Christmas Past), Diana Burbano (Mrs. Cratchit), Tommy Beck (Young Scrooge), Larry Bates (Fred/Gentleman), Rachel Bailey (Pursued Maiden/Fan), Eduardo Enrikez (Joe, Young Marley), Tom Anawalt (Topper/Puppet Show), Erika Schindele (Sally/Scavenger/Toy Lady), Nick Slimmer (Thomas Shelley/Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come), William Francis McGuire (Mr. Fezziwig/Gentleman/Solicitor), Sharon Omi (Mrs. Fezziwig/Solicitor) and Awni Abdi-Bahri (Belle/Mrs. Shelley).

The understudies are Kaci Hamilton (Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Cratchit, Spirit of Christmas Past and Sally), Michael Polak (Bob Cratchit Spirit of Christmas Present, Fred, Jacob Marley) and David Nevell (Ebenezer Scrooge).

Lotorto last appeared in ACC in 2008, Omi last appeared in 1994, and Abdi-Bahri was part of the kids' cast as Girl About Town in 2007. While a student at the SCR Youth Conservatory, Bailey played Martha Cratchit.

The adult cast is joined by 16 young performers, who are divided into two eight-person teams, which alternate performances. The child actors are students in the SCR Theatre Conservatory who auditioned for their roles after completing at least two years of theatre training in the Conservatory.

The Red Team features Aya Hanai (Martha Cratchit), Matthew Chan (Peter Cratchit), Penelope Main (Belinda Cratchit), Saher Chawla (Tiny Tim), Presley Coogan (Teen Girl About Town), Megan Chan (Girl About Town), Beatrice Main (Boy Scrooge/Oliver Shelley) and Thomas Lindley (Turkey Boy)

The Green Team features Tessany Azizi (Martha Cratchit), Isaac Person (Peter Cratchit), Yunah Choi (Belinda Cratchit), Ivy Granadino (Tiny Tim), Fiona Nguyen (Teen Girl About Town), Taylor Hershelman (Girl About Town), Natalie Yokota (Boy Scrooge/Oliver Shelley) and Elliot Lee (Turkey Boy).

Hanai, Matthew Chan, Megan Chan, Penelope Main, Beatrice Main, Person and Yokota return from last year's production. Both Choi and Coogan played Tiny Tim in previous productions.