(SALT LAKE CITY, UT)— Starting December 1 and running through December 31, Pioneer Theatre Company, will produce a free series of events as a “thank you” to the community. Let It Show: PTC’s Perfectly Pandemic Productions will include specially-designed Winter Holiday themed window displays, which can be enjoyed at SIMMONS PIONEER MEMORIAL THEATRE. The programming will also include an online reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, divided into five parts, based on the novel’s original narrative staves (chapters); two virtual concerts, bringing together local and national talent; and finally, two holiday cooking and craft shows that will be broadcast online. A full event calendar can be viewed on PTC’s website at pioneertheatre.org/calendar

 

“We wanted to be able to give back to our community, which has shown us such incredible support during this time,” said PTC Artistic Director KAREN AZENBERG. “Simultaneously, we felt it is critical to bring employment to as many theatre artists as possible. This project not only helps put our resident staff back to work, it employs an additional 35 artists and creatives.”

 

PTC’s Holiday Window display is being designed by Scenic Designer Utahn JO WINIARSKI (whose associate design work on Broadway includes The Scottsboro Boys, Sondheim on Sondheim, Rock of Ages). The online initiatives will be hosted on the PTC website through Vimeo. Each of the five parts of A Christmas Carol will be directed by a different director and will be read by three different actors. The concerts will be directed by Azenberg with music direction by PTC longtime collaborator Music Director PHIL RENO (whose music direction on Broadway includes Something Rotten!, Elf, The Drowsy Chaperone), and a cast of familiar faces from past PTC productions.

 

“With theatres shuttered all over the world, it is more important now than ever to look towards the future,” said PTC Managing Director CHRISTOPHER MASSIMINE. “That future starts at this moment, and a major component is taking care of community and taking care of artists. We are fortunate that Utah sees a path forward and continues to generously help sustain the live performing arts throughout this extended intermission.”

 

In addition to these upcoming Holiday programs, PTC has creatively retained full-time employees, while many theatres around the country have had to furlough and lay off entire staffs, by offering custom made masks built in the costume shop—and by repurposing PTC production materials to create a variety of household and holiday gifts, built in the scene shops, and sold through a partnership with the Pioneer Theatre Guild.

 

Let It Show: PTC’s Perfectly Pandemic Productions is funded in part by the CARES Act and the Utah State Legislature through Utah Arts & Museums. Funding is also provided by the Union Pacific Foundation.

 

Let It Show: PTC’s Perfectly Pandemic Productions will be offered free to the public and available first to PTC season ticket holders. For more information visit pioneertheatre.org

 

ABOUT PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC): Now celebrating its 59th season, the award-winning PTC is Utah’s Premiere Professional Theatre, Utah’s state theatre, and a leading arts organization of the West. Led by Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Managing Director Christopher Massimine, PTC promotes community-building and education through presenting world-class productions; developing new socially resonant and universal work; hosting talks, lectures, and workshops that engage a versatile and inclusive demographic, while celebrating diversity in culture and society; and serving as the connecting bridge between art and scholarship as an affiliate of the University of Utah.

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