Stage Notes: NTPA marks a landmark 'Scrooge' with a gift to the community

North Texas Performing Arts’ ‘Scrooge the Musical.'(Courtesy photo by AKA Photography)

NTPA’s Scrooge marks 100 performances

North Texas Performing Arts will offer again it’s Gift to the Community performances of Scrooge the Musical for veterans and underprivileged and disadvantaged children, families and groups by offering two special No Admission shows on Dec. 7 and 14.

More than 20 organizations connect guests and NTPA, often resulting in more than 500 attendees to this holiday production. Individuals or organizations interested in participating in this year’s Back to the Community Christmas Celebration can reach out to scrooge@ntpa.org.

This year’s 12th anniversary production of Scrooge the Musical will feature almost 100 actors in this Plano holiday traditon. Through the years the production has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, debilitating December ice storms, and a move to a new venue and through the challenges continued to take the stage.

The show’s final performance will also mark 100 performances of Scrooge the Musical for NTPA.

This year’s production is directed by NTPA’s award-winning and off-Broadway and international performer Mike Mazur, with support from the show’s choreographer Bonnie Grugle, music director Lizzie Shelby, assistant director Brenna Petersen, and stage manager Julianna Rios.

The show opens Dec. 7-18. The first weekend performs at the historic Plano Courtyard Theater and closing weekend at Willow Bend Center of the Arts in The Shops at Willow Bend Mall.

Tickets are available here.

In other NTPA news, the theater and school announced this week that it named a new development director. Mauri Douglas will focus on securing donations and leading the company’s fundraising initiatives. With almost 30 years of experience in fundraising and development, she will help NTPA build its income streams that help to keep its tuition affordable and support its programming.

Stage West to present holiday regional premiere by Emmy-nominated playwright

The cast of Stage West’s ‘Handle with Care.’ (Courtesy photo by Evan Michael Woods)

The Fort Worth theater offers up a premiere this season with Jason Odell Williams’ Handle with Care. The show runs for five weeks opening on Dec. 8. Williams is an Emmy-nominated writer and producer for the show Brain Games as well as the author of Stage West’s previous production Church and State. The show runs for five weeks.

About the show from SW:

Ayelet is on a special trip in Virginia with her beloved grandmother, Edna, when the unforeseen happens, and Edna dies. By Jewish custom, her body must be buried within 24 hours, and Ayelet is waiting for a delivery service to come with the box of Edna’s remains, so she can fly back to Israel for the burial. Just one problem: the van has been stolen while the less-than- diligent delivery guy Terrence was at a gas station. He can’t communicate with Ayelet, who speaks only Hebrew. So he calls his Jewish best buddy, Josh, to come talk to Ayelet—but the only Hebrew Josh knows is what he calls “twice-a-year shul Hebrew.” Now what?

The show is directed by New York-based Illanna Stein. The cast includes Mor Cohen, Lisa Fairchild, Blake McNamara and Aaron Kozak. The creative team includes sets by Clare Floyd DeVries, lighting by Jared Land, costumes by Laurie Land, sound design by Jorge Guerra and props and set decor by Lynn Lovett.

Tickets are available here.

Opening this week: