The Gallery Players Present MRS. BOB CRATCHIT'S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE 12/5-20

The Gallery Players proudly presents the New York premiere of Christopher Durang's Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge. Commissioned and originally produced by City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, The Gallery Players' Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge features Douglas Rees, originator of the role of Scrooge, and gets a limited engagement December 5-20th, 2009.

In this departure from Dickens, young Scrooge's exclamations of "Bah, humbug!" are an undiagnosed "kind of seasonal Tourette's Syndrome," and The Ghost of Christmas Past is played by a sassy African-American woman with enough attitude to portray all three spirits (which she does). She tries to show Scrooge his past, present and future in order to change him, but her magic keeps malfunctioning in Durang's version of the beloved holiday classic, and they consistently find themselves transported to the wrong time and place. Mrs. Bob Cratchit, a minor character in the Dickens, takes center stage here. As the Ghost loses more control, the plot morphs into parodies of Oliver Twist, The Gift of the Magi, and It's a Wonderful Life. And to make matters worse, Scrooge and Mrs. Bob seem to be kindred souls falling in love. With a dénouement that is two parts Touched by an Angel and one part The Queen of Mean, Scrooge's tale of redemption and gentle grace is placed squarely on its head. Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge runs December 5-December 20, 2009.

The cast of Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge is lead by Douglas Rees* as Scrooge, returning to the role after originating it at City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh. Safiya Fredericks* (Lynn Nottage's Crumbs from the Table of Joy) plays Ghost, and Mrs. Bob Cratchit is played by Joanna Parson* (National Tour: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story). The cast is rounded out by Sarah Amandes, Angela Dirksen, Sloan Grenz*, Greg Kalafatas, E.C. "Gene" Kelly*, Kyle Metzger*, Doug Plaut, Adam Segaller* and Carly Vernon. *Performing courtesy of Actor's Equity Association.

Direction and Musical Staging is by Trey Compton, Music Director: Jason Barrow, Associate Producer: Craig Anthony Bannister, Assistant Director: Mike LoBalsamo, Lighting and Sound Designer: David Roy (Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater at The Duke), Set Design: Lilia Trenkova, Properties Designer: Virginia Monte, Costume Designer: Steven Manuel. Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge is produced by Robin Mishik-Jett for The Gallery Players, Production Stage Manager: Kyle Atkins*, Assistant Stage Manager: Emily Louick and Production Assistant/Wardrobe: Andrew McFarland.

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge gets its NYC premiere with a limited engagement starting Saturday, December 5, 2009 and runs Thursdays, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm and Sundays at 3pm through December 20, 2009.

Tickets to Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge are $18 for adults, $14 for Seniors & Children 12 and under, and can be purchased by calling TheaterMania at (212) 352-3101, or online at www.galleryplayers.com. The Gallery Players is located at 199 14th St., between 4th and 5th Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Take the F Train to 4th Ave. or the R Train to 9th Street. By car: BQE to Hamilton Avenue to 14th Street.

A New York institution since 1967, The Gallery Players has served actors and audiences alike for more than 4 decades by showcasing burgeoning new talent and offering a home base for theater professionals. Its eclectic programming of intimate revivals and ambitious new work in inventive productions has earned it the reputation of "New York's Best Kept Secret." The Gallery Players is the recipient of the Off-Off Broadway Review's 2000 Award for Lifetime Achievement and is the three-time recipient of New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical in 2007, 2008 and 2009 for their productions of Urinetown! The musical, Yank! A New Musical and Like You Like It. Among its famous alumni are founding member Harvey Fierstein; Broadway regulars Nancy Anderson, Jeffry Denman and Diedre Goodwin; New York theater personality Seth Rudetsky and many others.

The Gallery Players' 43rd season continues with Caroline, or Change, running January 30-February 21, 2010, Arthur Miller's The Crucible March 20-April 4th 2010, City of Angels May 1-23, 2010, and closes with The 13th Annual Black Box New Play Festival, June 10-27, 2010. For more information and subscriptions to The Gallery Players' 43rd season, visit www.galleryplayers.com.

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