![](https://pioneertheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Lion-In-Winter-copy.jpg)
January 4 to January 19, 2019
By James Goldman
Two legendary lovers in a battle of wits over the throne of England
This fascinating historical drama became an instant classic when it premiered on Broadway in 1966, and was then turned into an Academy Award-winning movie.
It’s Christmas in 1183, and Henry II, King of England, is locked in a battle of wits with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, over which of their sons will succeed him as king. A titanic struggle ensues, pitting king against queen, and prince against prince, with the future of England hanging in the balance.
Important Dates
Monday–Thursday 7:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 7:30 PM
Saturday 2:00 PM
Sponsors
Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation
The Pioneer Theatre Guild
US Bank Foundation
Overview
Cast
Creative Team
WES GRANTOM (Director) is thrilled to be back at PTC after directing last season’s Comedy of Tenors by Ken Ludwig. Most recently, he directed world premieres of Beep Boop created with physical comedian Richard Saudek and Civics and Humanities for Non-Majors by Jeff Talbott. Other credits include Toxic Avenger by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro at Pittsburgh CLO, Lone Star Spirits by Josh Tobiessen with Crowded Outlet and Eager to Lose by Matthew-Lee Erlbach at Ars Nova, as well as The Cloud by Matt Moses, The Steadfast by Mat Smart and Mine by Bekah Brunstetter. Grantom has a number of Broadway credits as resident and associate director, working alongside James Lapine, Emma Rice, John Rando, Anthony Page and Rufus Norris. He is a recipient of multiple Drama League Fellowships, a member of Lincoln Center Directors Lab, a graduate of the University of Evansville and artistic director of Crowded Outlet, based in Queens, NY.
JASON SIMMS (Set Designer) is a designer for plays, musical theatre and opera. Simms is honored to return to PTC after designing Glass Menagerie and An Inspector Calls in 2016. Work in other regional theaters includes: Berkshire Theatre Group, Weston Playhouse, George St. Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Co., People’s Light and Theatre (Philadelphia), Bristol Riverside Theatre (Bristol, PA), Denver Center Theatre Co., Chautauqua Theatre Co. (Chautauqua, NY), The Old Globe (San Diego), TheatreWorks (Silicon Valley), Two River Theatre Co. (Red Bank, NJ) and many others. NYC venues include The Public Theatre, The Cherry Lane, 2nd Stage Uptown, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Soho Playhouse, The Juilliard School, The Wild Project, The Ohio Theater, The New Ohio Theater, The Bushwick Starr and more. MFA: NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. www.jasonsimmsdesign.com Instagram: simmsjason
PHILLIP R. LOWE is thrilled to be making his PTC debut designing one of his favorite plays. He is a MFA graduate of Utah State University and was the Kennedy Center’s 2002 recipient of the National Barbizon Award for his costume design of The Lion in Winter. Phil spent five seasons as Costume Director for Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre where his favorite credits include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oklahoma!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Seussical . Phil has designed over 25 productions for Plan-B Theatre Company including the World Premier of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Other SLC credits include: Tribes and Hand to God at Salt Lake Acting Company, La Cage aux Folles, White Christmas and Urinetown at Park City’s Egyptian Theatre, Musical of Musicals: The Musical, and Xanadu at The Grand, and Iphigenia in Tauris for the Classical Greek Theatre Festival.
DRISCOLL OTTO (Lighting Designer. ) Recently Otto designed lighting and projections for Iolanta at Chicago Opera Theatre. Otto’s design work is seen frequently in NYC, regional theatre and opera & internationally. His credits include Utah Opera, Opera Omaha, Opera Philadelphia, Dallas Theater Center, Drury Lane Theatre, The Dallas Opera, The Huntington Theatre Company, Chicago Opera Theatre, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Trinity Repertory Company, Hangar Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse, Lyric Opera Kansas City and productions of Legally Blonde and Rock of Ages for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Highlights to his resume include projection design for Santa Fe Opera’s production of The Golden Cockerel and The Metropolitan Opera’s production of La Donna Del Lago. He received his MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. His work can be seen at www.DriscollOtto.com
ALLAN BRANSON (Resident Sound Designer) is thrilled to join Pioneer Theatre Company. He previously worked at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre as their resident sound designer for six seasons, where he designed such shows as Because of Winn-Dixie (world premiere), The Bridges of Madison County (regional premiere) and Memphis (regional premiere). Branson is a proud member of The Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association.
CATE HEINER is delighted to be involved with her first production at Pioneer! She just received her master’s degree in Literary and Cultural Studies at Carnegie Mellon University this spring and has presented research at the American Theatre in Higher Education Conference and the Comparative Drama Conference. Her work in dramaturgy has included productions of As You Like It and American Idiot (U of U Theatre) and The Wolves (Salt Lake Acting Company), and the upcoming world premiere of An Evening with Two Awful Men at Plan-B.
Media
Publicity
Preview Coverage
BroadwayWorld
A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL to be Presented at Pioneer Theatre Company in December
Gephardt Daily
A Christmas Story, The Musical’ to bring festive cheer to Pioneer
Salt Lake City Weekly
The Essential A&E Picks for Dec 8-14
ABC-4
Family-friendly Christmas events in Utah
Reviews
BroadwayWorld
A CHRISTMAS STORY at Pioneer Theatre Company is Warm-Hearted”
Front Row Reviewers
Oh Fudge! Pioneer Theatre Company Brings A Christmas Story, the Musical to Utah and If You Miss it–Well, You Know What You’ll Say
Gephardt Daily
PTC’s ‘A Christmas Story, The Musical’ adds comedy, depth to nostalgic film story
Good Things Utah
A Christmas Story, The Musical hits the Pioneer Theatre stage
Utah Arts Review
PTC’s high-energy cast serves up enjoyable, family-friendly ‘Christmas Story
The Utah Review
Pioneer Theatre Company’s A Christmas Story: The Musical is spiffy, enjoyable homage to holiday film classic
Utah Theatre Bloggers
PIONEER’S A CHRISTMAS STORY IS A BULLSEYE