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Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces

Christmas Carol: The Remix broadcast on WTTW

Holiday hit from the Q Brothers brings gift of theater to Chicagoans Airing December 16–25, 2022

Return of the Holiday Artisan Market

Virtual pop-up shop showcases local artists, December 1–14, 2022

 

Chicago—December 1, 2022—Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces two exciting ways to get into the holiday spirit this season with the broadcast premiere of Christmas Carol: The Remix and the return of the Holiday Artisan Market benefiting local theatermakers and community artists.

Chicago Shakespeare’s hip hop holiday hit Christmas Carol: The Remix, created and performed by Chicago sensations the Q Brothers Collective—GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran, and Postell Pringle—and developed with Creative Producer Rick Boynton, will be broadcast on Chicago's PBS station WTTW Channel 11, December 16–25, 2022. The wildly entertaining theatrical event reimagines the classic Charles Dickens tale, mashing up musical styles from reggae and dancehall music, to dubstep and epic rock ballads—as the Ghosts of hip hop Past, Present, and Future lead Scrooge on a journey of rhythm, rhyme, and redemption. Nearly 75,000 audience members have experienced the festive tradition onstage since 2013, and now all of Chicago will have a free, front-row seat to the show as the ultimate holiday gift.

The broadcast of Christmas Carol: The Remix is presented by the Q Brothers, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, HMS Media and Chicago Stage On Screen in association with Richard Jordan Productions. Filmed in front of a live audience in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare in 2021, this free program exemplifies the Theater’s commitment to making its work accessible to the widest possible audience.

Christmas Carol: The Remix Broadcast Schedule:

  • Friday, December 16 at 9:00 p.m. on WTTW 
  • Saturday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. on WTTW Prime
  • Sunday, December 18 at 3:30 a.m. on WTTW
  • Saturday, December 24 at 12:30 p.m. on WTTW Prime
  • Sunday, December 25 at 9:30 a.m. on WTTW

Tune in on WTTW Channel 11 or stream live online at wttw.com/live. More info about how to find WTTW across devices here.

Beginning December 8, 2022, the filmed production can also be streamed on-demand on the subscription service BroadwayHD at www.broadwayhd.com.

Christmas Carol: The Remix features GQ (Scrooge), JQ (Marley/Belle/Present/Lil’ Tim), Jackson Doran (Fred/Dick Wilkins/ Mama Cratchit), and Postell Pringle (Bob Cratchit/Past/Martha Cratchit)—joined by DJ Clayton Stamper spinning live beats live onstage. The production is written by the Q Brothers Collective, directed by GQ and JQ, with music by JQ. The creative team features Scenic and Costume Designer Scott Davis, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer Stephen Ptacek, Associate Sound Designer Ralph Loza, and original Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal, with choreography by Anacron.

The Q Brothers Collective fuses hip hop and theater—adapting classic stories with a wholly original style of performance that has amassed a cult following of fans in Chicago and beyond. Their award-winning collaborations with Chicago Shakespeare Theater Creative Producer Rick Boynton include Othello: The Remix—which premiered at Shakespeare’s Globe and toured to sold-out houses in London, Australia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Off Broadway—and Funk It Up About Nothin’, which garnered the Jeff Award for Outstanding Ensemble and the Dress Circle Award for Best Musical Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Twenty-one-time Emmy Award-winning HMS Media creates broadcast, digital and mobile content for Broadway shows and national tours, an impressive roster of Chicago and regional theater, dance, and music companies, an array of social-service institutions, and corporate clients. Since Scott Silberstein and Matt Hoffman co-founded the multimedia company in early 1988, it has become one of the country’s leading production companies for the arts and social issues.

Back by popular demand, Chicago Shakespeare’s Holiday Artisan Market will showcase local artisans from the creative sector—including onstage performers, backstage technicians, designers, and community partners from the Theater’s annual Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks program. The virtual pop-up shop will be live beginning December 1, 2022 at www.chicagoshakes.com/market with one hundred percent of proceeds going directly to the artists. Shopping by December 14 is encouraged to ensure time for holiday shipping.

From jewelry and art prints to home decor, the Holiday Artisan Market is not only a curated destination to discover bespoke and beautifully made gifts, but also a celebration of the talent of our city’s creative community.

Featured artisans include:

  • Actor Nick Harazin who has appeared in six Chicago Shakespeare productions, sharing his woodworking skills with unique wooden jewelry and furniture pieces.
  • Brittany Taylor, member of Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce’s Business Development Cohort, creates hand-poured Black Luxe candles as an indulgent treat.
  • Chicago stage manager Jinni Pike, who most recently worked behind-the-scenes on Measure for Measure and It Came From Outer Space, offers her artful gift-wrapping services for projects big and small.
  • Fulton Street Collective member Emma Lyons, who designed the set for this past summer’s Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks event—ShakesFest: A Chicago Shakespeare Community Cabaret, presents her whimsical paintings.
  • Theatrical costume maker Maggie Hofmann (SIX, Macbeth, Nell Gwynn) delights with holiday-themed goods in her PaisleyAndGlue shop.

Full list of participating artisans to date include: Kala Cullars – Highest Dimensions LLC; Catherine Daniels – CDanielsDesign; Nicholas Harazin – Kindred Woodworks; Maggie Hofmann – PaisleyAndGlue; Sotirios Livaditis – Soti Makes Things; Emma Lyons – Emma Lyons Art; Jessica Neill – Bourbon & Spark; Jinni Pike – The Wrap Queens; Jen Smith – JenSmithGlass; Brittany Taylor – Black Luxe Candle Co; Beth Uber – Betherella; Nikki Way – Nikki Way.

About Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Regional Tony Award-recipient Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season—plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe—alongside nationally recognized education programming serving tens of thousands of students, teachers, and lifelong learners each year. Founded in 1986, the Theater’s onstage work has expanded to as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually. Chicago Shakespeare is dedicated to welcoming the next generation of theatergoers; one in four of its audience members is under the age of eighteen. As a nonprofit organization, the Theater works to embrace diversity, prioritize inclusion, provide equitable opportunities, and offer an accessible experience for all. On the Theater’s three stages at its home on Navy Pier, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted cultural hub—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect and inspire. www.chicagoshakes.com

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Contact Us
 

Hannah Kennedy
Director of Communications
hkennedy@chicagoshakes.com

Emma Perrin
Public Relations & Digital Media Manager
eperrin@chicagoshakes.com
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Media Office
312.667.4957

Cathy Taylor
cathy@cathytaylorpr.com
Cathy Taylor Public Relations
773.564.9564

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
on Navy Pier
800 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

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