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Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre
Conrad Prebys Theatre Center
Artwork courtesy of The Old Globe.
World premiere
Music and lyrics by Clint Black
Book by James D. Sasser with Clint Black
Music supervision and music direction by Matt Hinkley
Directed by Kent Nicholson
A world premiere American musical about family, loyalty, and the magic of Christmas from country music legend Clint Black, inspired by his 1995 chart-topping holiday album. Amid the commotion of the holidays, Staff Sergeant Mike Randolf returns from Afghanistan and home to his family. But before Mike can open his heart to the joy and spirit of the season, he must make peace with the past and let go the ghosts of the battlefield. While Mike’s wife helps him readjust to civilian life, it’s their precocious young daughter’s sweet search for the true meaning of Christmas that leads the family toward healing. This heartwarming musical is sure to become an enduring holiday classic.
Running time: One hour, thirty-five minutes. There is no intermission.
Production Sponsors
Evelyn Mack Truitt
Artist Sponsor for Aaron C. Finley (Mike Randolf)
Lynne and Steve Wheeler
Clint Black (Music and Lyrics, Book, Original Idea) has one of the most storied careers in modern music. He surged to superstardom as part of the fabled “Class of ’89,” reaching No. 1 with five consecutive singles from his triple-Platinum debut, Killin’ Time. He followed that with the triple-Platinum Put Yourself in My Shoes, and then a string of Platinum and Gold albums throughout the ’90s. Perhaps most impressively, Mr. Black wrote or co-wrote every one of his more than three dozen chart hits, including “A Better Man,” “Where Are You Now,” “When My Ship Comes In,” “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” “Summer’s Comin’,” “Like the Rain,” and “Nothin’ but the Taillights,” part of a catalog that produced 22 No. 1 singles and made him one of the most successful singer/songwriters of the modern era. Along the way, Mr. Black has sold over 20 million records; earned more than a dozen Gold and Platinum awards in the U.S. and Canada; landed nearly two dozen major awards and nominations, including more than a dozen Grammy Award nominations; and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
James D. Sasser (Book, Original Idea) has had a performance career spanning from Broadway and Off Broadway to opera and concert stages around the world, and he has been involved for two decades in the development of dozens of new musical works on both sides of the table as an actor, writer, and producer. He has worked with organizations ranging from Riverdance to Sundance, Jesus Christ Superstar to Forbidden Broadway, and theatre outfits including Ars Nova, Manhattan Theatre Club, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, New Dramatists, Vineyard Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Playwrights Horizons, and many more. With writing partner Charles Vincent Burwell, their musicals include CUBAMOR, Bottle Shock (based on the hit cult wine film), and the forthcoming Black Count. CUBAMOR had its developmental premiere at Village Theatre’s Beta Series and was an official selection of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s New Works Festival. Bottle Shock has been presented at the Napa Valley Film Festival, Ars Nova, and Z Space, and it is gearing up for its premiere in the Bay Area. Mr. Sasser and Mr. Burwell’s songs have been heard at Lincoln Center, 54 Below, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, Ars Nova, A Little New Music in L.A., Feinstein’s at the Nikko in San Francisco, and other venues on both coasts. Along with Kent Nicholson and Mr. Burwell, and financial partners Henry Ivey and Juliet Settlemier, Mr. Sasser founded the 959 Group, a new-works theatrical development and investment strategy LLC. Their first endeavor was Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, which marked vocal sensation Josh Groban’s Broadway debut, and was nominated for twelve Tony Awards, winning two. Their portfolio includes CUBAMOR, Bottle Shock, and Looking for Christmas.
Kent Nicholson (Director) has had a hand in nearly three decades of new-work development on both coasts with pioneering organizations such as Playwrights Horizons and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. His New York directing credits include 9 Circles (Sheen Center), Long Story Short (Prospect Theater Company), Five Flights (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Wet (Summer Play Festival), and Marry Harry (New York Musical Theatre Festival, American Theater Group). Mr. Nicholson’s regional credits include Once, Amadeus, and The Light in the Piazza (South Coast Repertory), How to Write a New Book for the Bible (South Coast Repertory, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre), CUBAMOR (Village Theatre), Lizzie (Theatre Under The Stars, Village Theatre), Grey Gardens, Vincent in Brixton, Ambition Facing West, and All My Sons (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), Saint Ex (Weston Playhouse), 9 Circles, The Good German, and Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Marin Theatre Company), and Small Tragedy and Satellites (Aurora Theatre Company). He created the New Works Initiative at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and the Uncharted writers group at Ars Nova. Mr. Nicholson currently serves on the boards of Old Sound Room and Musical Theatre Factory, and he serves as Associate Producer of Musical Theatre at Playwrights Horizons in New York.
Matt Hinkley (Music Supervisor and Music Director), originally from Texas, is a New York City/New Jersey–based multi-instrumentalist, conductor, music director, and arranger/orchestrator. His Broadway credits include SpongeBob SquarePants, Bandstand, Finding Neverland, Violet, First Date, and Godspell. His regional credits include Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing (Signature Theatre Company, Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Musical Direction), The Circus in Winter (Goodspeed Musicals), Chess (The Kennedy Center), and Love Kills (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). His other New York credits include Rooms; Joe Iconis’s Bloodsong of Love and Things to Ruin;the City Center Encores! production of Assassins; The Burnt Part Boys; 35mm; The Bad Years; F#%king Up Everything/Brooklyn Crush; and Koberet. He also worked on the film of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years. Mr. Hinkley’s studio and concert work includes supervising/arranging for Caissie Levy, Jonathan Reid Gealt, and Natalie Weiss; music direction for Bubble Boy; and collaborations with Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Joe Iconis, and more. His works in development include music direction for Adam Rapp and Jamestown Revival’s The Outsiders, and music supervision for Mr. Gealt’s Dust & Shadow, Ben Clark’s Skin & Bones, and Tennessee Whiskey, about the life and songs of Dean Dillon.
Wendy Seyb (Choreographer) is an award-winning director, writer, choreographer, and filmmaker. Her career highlights include choreographing The Pee-wee Herman Show (Broadway, HBO); choreographing Sting and Oscar Isaac at Carnegie Hall; working with Christopher Lloyd in his return to theatre; and premiering her original award-winning short film starring Emmy Award winner Peter Scolari at top film festivals. Her Off Broadway highlights include choreographing Click, Clack, Moo (Lucille Lortel Award nomination), The Toxic Avenger (Lucille Lortel, Joe A. Callaway, and Dora Award nominations), and Murder for Two (and two national tours). Her talents have been sought out by top names in the industry including Amazon Studios, NBCUniversal Television, The Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Theatrical Productions, The Sacramento Ballet, Geffen Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Paper Mill Playhouse, Geva Theatre Center, and Children’s Theatre Company.
Sean Fanning (Scenic Design) is a Southern California–based scenic designer with numerous productions across local stages. His previous Globe credits include the Globe for All Tours of Measure for Measure and All’s Well That Ends Well, Full Gallop (Craig Noel Award nomination), A Doll’s House, Kingdom, and Plaid Tidings. With The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, his credits include Pericles, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His other recent designs include Oslo, Thomas and Sally, and My Mañana Comes (Marin Theatre Company), Fun Home, Beachtown, Evita, and Manifest Destinitis (San Diego Repertory), On the Twentieth Century (Craig Noel Award), A Little Night Music, The Wind and the Breeze, The Last Wife, Hir, Seven Guitars, and King Hedley II (Cygnet Theatre Company), and Once, Silent Sky, and Equivocation (Lamb’s Players Theatre). He received the first Craig Noel Award for Designer of the Year for his body of work in 2016. Mr. Fanning holds an M.F.A. in Scene Design from San Diego State University. seanfanningdesigns.com.
Charlotte Devaux (Costume Design) has designed 25 productions at The Old Globe. Her work has also been featured at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company, and San Diego Dance Theater. She designed Miami Libre, a Cuban dance musical, for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Internationally, she has designed extensively for both theatre and television in New Zealand. In addition to her New Zealand theatre credits, she was the costume designer and stylist for Television New Zealand. She holds additional design credits in London and Sydney. Ms. Devaux holds the position of Resident Associate Costume Designer at The Old Globe, where she has collaborated with world-class designers, directors, and actors on over 75 productions of contemporary works, Shakespearean productions, and Broadway-bound musicals, including the recent The Heart of Rock & Roll. She is a recipient of a prestigious Theatre Communications Group grant undertaking costume research in London and Bath.
Rui Rita (Lighting Design) designed the Globe’s productions of Death of a Salesman, Dividing the Estate, and Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. His Broadway credits include The Velocity of Autumn, The Trip to Bountiful, Present Laughter, Dividing the Estate, Old Acquaintance, and Enchanted April, among others. He designed the Off Broadway premieres of Paradise Blue, The Old Friends, and The Orphans’ Home Cycle (Signature Theatre Company; Henry Hewes Design Award), Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company), The Happiest Song Plays Last (Second Stage Theatre), Just Jim Dale (Roundabout Theatre Company), Nightingale and Moonlight and Magnolias (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Carpetbagger’s Children and Far East (Lincoln Center Theater), and Dinner with Friends (Variety Arts Center). He also designed the Off Broadway revivals of The Piano Lesson (Signature), Talley’s Folly and The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore (Roundabout), and Engaged (Theatre for a New Audience; Obie Award). His recent regional credits include Alley Theatre, Arena Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Center Theatre Group, Ford’s Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Huntington Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Leon Rothenberg (Sound Design) designed The Old Globe’s productions of The Lion, Bethany, and Some Lovers. His recent Broadway credits include The Waverly Gallery, The Boys in the Band, A Doll’s House Part 2, Violet, The Realistic Jones, and The Nance (Tony Award). He has designed regionally for Arena Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Seattle Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, McCarter Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, New York Stage and Film, and more. His selected New York and Off Broadway credits include Second Stage Theatre, New York City Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theater, Culture Project, and Tectonic Theater Project. He has also designed for Cirque du Soleil. Mr. Rothenberg is a faculty member of California Institute of the Arts. klaxson.net.
Jason Styres, CSA (Casting) cast the Broadway productions of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Dames at Sea, The Lion King, and Nice Work If You Can Get It.His Off Broadway credits include Puffs, Midnight at the Never Get, Pedro Pan, Neurosis, R.R.R.E.D., War Boys, Money Talks, Trip of Love, iLLA, Missed Connections, and 15 City Center Encores! productions, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Merrily We Roll Along, On Your Toes, Little Me, The Most Happy Fella, Lady Be Good!, Paint Your Wagon, and Cabin in the Sky. His national tour credits include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Lion King, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Mr. Styres’s film and television credits include How You Look at It, Carousel (PBS), Six by Sondheim (HBO), and “So You Think You Can Dance.” He also cast the London and Las Vegas productions of Magic Mike Live directed by Channing Tatum. His other credits include Josh Prince’s Broadway Dance Lab, Camille A. Brown’s developmental project, Hartford Stage, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Florida Studio Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and others. Mr. Styres is a seven-time Artios Award nominee and a New York board member of the Casting Society of America.
Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager) has previously worked on The Old Globe’s world premiere musical productions of The Heart of Rock & Roll, Benny & Joon, October Sky, Bright Star, Dog and Pony, Allegiance, A Room with a View, and Kingdom. Some of her additional credits include The Tempest; The Wanderers; The Importance of Being Earnest; King Richard II; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Kiss Me, Kate; The Twenty-seventh Man; The Winter’s Tale; Be a Good Little Widow; and Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. Ms. Nero worked on the Broadway production of Bright Star and launched the first national tour last fall. Her selected La Jolla Playhouse credits include Sideways directed by Des McAnuff, Ruined directed by Liesl Tommy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Christopher Ashley, and Herringbone directed by Roger Rees and starring BD Wong. Ms. Nero has worked with several prominent regional theatres including The Kennedy Center, Center Theatre Group (Ahmanson and Kirk Douglas Theatres), Hartford Stage, SITI Company, Huntington Theatre Company, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, to name a few, including having toured both nationally and internationally with several dance and music companies.
This series provides Old Globe patrons with an opportunity to closely connect with productions both onstage and backstage. A panel selected from the artistic company of each show (playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and/or technicians) engages patrons in an informal and illuminating presentation of ideas and insights to enhance the theatre going experience. Each Insights Seminar takes place 90 minutes before curtain time on the Tuesday after performances begin, and includes an informal reception 30 minutes before the start. FREE; no reservations necessary.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Join us after the show for an informal and enlightening question-and-answer session with cast members. Get the "inside story" on creating a character and putting together a professional production. Post-show forums are scheduled after select Tuesday and Wednesday evening performances. FREE; no reservations necessary.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Explore the ideas and issues raised by a production through brief, illuminating post-show discussions with local experts, such as scientists, artists, historians and scholars. Subject Matters will ignite discussion, bring the play's concerns into sharp focus, and encourage you to think beyond the stage! Subject Matters discussions follow select Saturday matinee performances. FREE; no reservations necessary.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
