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Carmen Cusack, Nina West & More to Star in THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS: HOW THOSE GHOSTS GOT SCROOGED at 54 Below

Don't miss the holiday hijinks and soul-saving adventures on December 13, 2023.

By: Nov. 28, 2023
Carmen Cusack, Nina West & More to Star in THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS: HOW THOSE GHOSTS GOT SCROOGED at 54 Below  Image
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54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, proudly announces the full cast to join two-time Tony Award Nominee Carmen Cusack and "RuPaul's Drag Race" Miss Congeniality winner Nina West in The Christmas Carols, from Emmy nominee Kat Radley ("The Daily Show") and the Off-Broadway writing team of Bryan Blaskie (Assistants) and Manny Hagopian (Apex Legends).

Andrew Levitt, who appeared on Season 11 of the Emmy-winning reality show as Nina West, will lead the cast as Jacob Marley in this adaptation of the Dickens classic that explains how the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future-all named Carol-found their soul-saving roles in the afterlife.

Carmen Cusack, nominated for two Tony Awards for her work in Bright Star and Flying Over Sunset, will be joined by Drew Droege (Titanique).

The titular Carols will be played by Elizabeth Ward Land (Amazing Grace), LaDonna Burns (White Girl in Danger), and Brianna Brito Mooney (Six). Along their adventures through time, the Carols will meet perennial Broadway star Eddie Korbich (The Music Man), Morgan Siobhan Green (White Girl in Danger), and Drama Desk Nominee Kennedy Kanagawa (Into the Woods).

Rounding out the cast are Travis Leland, Matia Prescott (Ghost Girls), Erica Lynn Bridge, and Ben Diamond (Assistants).

The Christmas Carols premiered to a capacity crowd at 54 Below in 2022 featuring stars of stage, screen, and video games. This year promises more hijinks, more songs, and more Carols!

The Christmas Carols: Live in Concert will be music directed by Bryan Blaskie, with instrumentalists Skyler Fortgang, Elmo Zapp, and Matt Short.

The Christmas Carols plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on December 13 at 9:30pm. Cover charges are $30-$40 ($34.50-$45.50 with fees.) Premiums are $65 ($73 with fees.) There is a $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.org. Tickets on the day of performance after 7:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kat Radley (she/her) is a two-time Emmy nominated and NAACP Image Award winning staff writer for "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," (now "The Daily Show"). As a New York based stand-up comedian, she has performed comedy on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" and Comedy Central. Kat also wrote for the 2022 White House Correspondents' Dinner and has published her writing in the legendary publication The New Yorker. She has been featured in Glamour Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter in their pieces highlighting women writers in the late night landscape, and Kat continues to perform stand-up comedy around the country as part of "The Daily Show" Writers Comedy Tour.

Manny Hagopian (he/him) is a writer and composer known best for his roles as Narrative Director and Lead Writer at the Academy Award-winning video game studio Respawn Entertainment. His work can be found in the hit games: Titanfall, Titanfall 2, the BAFTA nominated Star Wars game Jedi: Fallen Order, and the Battle Royale juggernaut Apex Legends, the latter of which has over 125 million players worldwide. Beyond games, Manny's work has been featured in the publication of a comic series, the 5-star rated book Pathfinder's Quest, and a number of animated shorts and radio-plays that have trended NUMBER 1 on YouTube gaining millions of views each. In the world of musical theatre, Manny has written, composed, and produced over six musicals such as Tonya Harding: The Musical (E! Entertainment, UCB LA, New York Times), Earhart: A Musical Flight (Hollywood Fringe, UCB LA, The Rockwell LA), and his NYC Off-Broadway debut of Assistants.

Bryan Blaskie (he/him) is a composer, music director, and theatre educator from Pickerington, Ohio. His music has been performed across the US in collaboration with organizations such as American Opera Projects, A Little New Music, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Lincoln Center. His musical Assistants ran Off-Broadway after winning Best World Premiere Musical by StageScene LA and the #1 Can't Miss Show by Time Out LA. His opera Outside premiered at NYC's historic Stonewall Inn as part of World Pride 2019. He is a two-time O'Neill NMTC semifinalist, and his music can most recently be heard in the feature films Summoning Sylvia and Big Easy Queens. Other musicals include Ghost Girls and Nothing to See Here with Laurie Hochman. Bryan is a graduate of Denison University and holds an MFA from NYU Tisch's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he is the recipient of the Denison University President's Medal, Distinguished Leadership Award, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, and the ASCAP Foundation Max Dreyfus Scholarship. Bryan is a proud member of ASCAP, the Dramatists Guild, and AFM Local 802.

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists. It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at 54below.org.




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