It looks like the holiday season in Wisconsin has two additional bright spots as the American Players Theatre is set to offer TWO virtual holiday offerings.
The first one is a new take on a traditional holiday movie favorite, It’s A Wonderful Life. Titled This Wonderful Life, it’s an adaption of the screenplay. Here’s the details directly from APT:
This Wonderful Life
By Steve Murray
Conceived by Mark Setlock, adapted from the screenplay It’s a Wonderful Life by
Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, and Jo Swerling.
Directed by William Brown
All the characters of Bedford Falls wrapped up like a gift and presented by Nate Burger. He’s a man giddily obsessed with It’s a Wonderful Life and he’s thrilled to read us each and every part, adding sparks of wit and wisdom as he goes. Playing multiple characters is one (or a few) of Nate’s favorite things, and he imbues each role with the whole of his heart. A story for these times, and all times, kindling our hearts with gratitude for the treasures right in front of us.
And then for something completely different, APT offers this world premiere show!
APT’s Holidames: Tangled in Tinsel
Developed by Tracy Michelle Arnold, Sarah Day, Keira Fromm and Colleen Madden
Directed by Keira Fromm
Join APT royalty Sarah Day, Tracy Michelle Arnold and Colleen Madden for a world-premiere show. There will be singing. There will be celebration. There will be holiday hilarity, and poignant prose spun from Christmases past. It’s a patchwork quilt of seasonal cheer, each square a joyous celebration. We can’t think of a better trio to lighten your lockdown – sure to warm your soul like a fireside toddy.
And for a bit more insight on these plays and additional reasons to partake, here’s a note from Brenda DeVita:
Artistic Director Brenda DeVita said, “We’ve been working on these shows for a while, and pouring our hearts and souls into them. And I think they offer the perfect amount of emotional lift during a holiday season that’s going to be unlike any we’ve ever experienced. The artists are having so much fun with that you’re really drawn into this bubble of joy with them. Sarah and Tracy and Colleen, in Holidames – it’s got that old-school variety show feel. And it’s utterly ridiculous. And then it will move you to tears. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever done – it’s candy, and we should all be able to have as much candy as we want right now, right? And Nate in This Wonderful Life, playing all the roles from It’s a Wonderful Life, and watching him switch from character to character seemingly effortlessly. And just putting his whole heart into this story; the one we watch every year because it tells us that our life matters – to us and to the people around us. And I think we should embrace as much of that feeling as we can this year.”
These shows promise to be a lot of fun and as we’ve seen this summer and fall, the APT has mastered the art of virtual theater, so I am looking forward to these. But these are APT’s first ticketed virtual events, so you will want to make plans to order tickets so that you won’t be disappointed! Here’s the basic information:
Tickets will go on sale online only on Wednesday, December 1 at 10 AM Central Time at americanplayers.org/tickets.
Once tickets are purchased, patrons will receive an email with a link to the play(s) and redemption code(s). Once the code is redeemed, the play will be available to view for 24 hours. The plays will be available on the Broadway on Demand website from 12:01 AM on December 2 until 11:59 PM Central Time on December 29, 2020.
For more information, click here!
And don’t forget to catch their fall Out of the Woods offerings that are still available for free via Wisconsin PBS: The Sins of Sor Juana, Nat Turner in Jerusalem, and Smart People.
Happy Holidays!