American Players Theater
For some time now, we’ve been pondering just how to bring a bit of joy into the holiday season. We knew it would need to be something special in order to let the light shine through the curtains of this strange and twisting year. Something more than just play readings (though we loved every breathless moment of those stories, as well). What we’ve come up with is a sparkling set of shows to raise your spirits, and make some serious merry.
One is both a world-premiere, and an utter delight. APT’s Holidames: Tangled in Tinsel features Tracy Michelle Arnold, Sarah Day and Colleen Madden at their most festive (and at times, their most ridiculous). An old-style, holiday variety show, offering songs and stories and, best of all, joy.
The other is a story you’ll recognize, though it comes with a new twist. This Wonderful Life offers the full story of It’s a Wonderful Life, told by one man in one tour-de-force performance. Nate Burger rises to the challenge in a new version of this perennial favorite.
Join us for one or both of these festive virtual events, to fill your heart with the very best of the season.
Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 am CT on December 1, and the shows will be available to stream on December 2. The ticket price for each show is $24, or you can indulge in both for $45. Whichever path you choose, we hope it brings a bit of jolly to your holiday.
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.
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.
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 performances will be the first ticketed virtual events that APT has produced. 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.
More information is available on APT’s website: www. americanplayers.org/apt-holiday-shows.