Westport Country Playhouse Stages Family-Friendly Holiday Show, “A Sherlock Carol,” December 17 – 22
Playwright and director Mark Shanahan combines two classic tales into one holiday-themed mystery for all ages.
Westport Country Playhouse will stage “A Sherlock Carol,” a family-friendly holiday production based on two classic tales, “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” a classic Sherlock Holmes story, and “A Christmas Carol,” from Tuesday, December 17 through Sunday, December 22. The inventive plot of intrigue and suspense, infused with holiday cheer and music, features familiar characters from the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. The play returns to the Playhouse by popular demand after a run last year.
Nominated for a 2022 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play and selected as a “Critics’ Pick” by The New York Times, the play is written and directed by Mark Shanahan, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director.
“’A Sherlock Carol’ turns the tables on Dickens and Doyle’s characters, revisiting them in ways audiences have not seen before,” said Shanahan. “At its heart, ‘A Sherlock Carol’ is a tale of the resurrection of the spirit, in which Sherlock Holmes, in a fit of despair, struggles his way back from a dark place. He is guided by the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge, who charges Holmes with becoming his best self and living up to his famed talents as the world’s foremost consulting detective.”
The play is set in 1894 London on Christmas Eve as a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the peculiar death of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The entire cast will reprise their roles from last year’s Playhouse production. Cast members are Drew McVety as Sherlock Holmes (Westport Country Playhouse: virtual playreading of “A Sherlock Carol,” Script in Hand playreading of “The Scream”; Broadway: “Bandstand,” “The Front Page,” “The Last Ship,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “Billy Elliot,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Spamalot,” “Frozen,” “Big River” – Special Tony Award, “Titanic,” “The Heidi Chronicles”; Off-Broadway: “A Sherlock Carol,” Drama Desk nomination for “Corpus Christi”); Byron St. Cyr as Ebenezer Scrooge (theatre artist, writer, musician; Off-Broadway: “A Sherlock Carol”; regional theater: “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Dames at Sea,” “Billy Elliot”; national tours: “Miss Saigon,” “My Fair Lady”; or @BSCjr on Instagram); Joe Delafield (Westport Country Playhouse: “The 39 Steps,” “The School for Husbands,” Radio Theater’s “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” Script in Hand playreadings of “Christmas at Pemberley,” “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”; Broadway: “Tartuffe”; Off-Broadway: “Fashions for Men,” “Outward Bound”; television: “The Sopranos”; MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program).
Single tickets start at $35 and are subject to change based upon availability. Student tickets are $20. For information on special offers, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes, visit www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/box-office/.
Pre- and post-show offerings include Opening Night on Tuesday, December 17, featuring a post-show reception with cast, crew, and creative team, following the 7 p.m. show; Together at the Table, on Wednesday, December 18, at 5:30 p.m., offering a pizza dinner to families or groups with student-age children; and Pride Night, on Thursday, December 19, at 6 p.m., featuring a cocktail party for the LGBTQ+ community and friends, with a limited open bar from Trevi Lounge and appetizers from Walrus Alley.
During the run of “A Sherlock Carol,” the Playhouse will be giving back to the community, benefiting individuals and families served by the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Norwalk Toys for Tots, and Homes with Hope. Donations may be dropped off in the collection boxes located in the Playhouse lobby during box office hours, Tues. through Fri., 12 to 5 p.m.
“A Sherlock Carol” Production Partner is Claire Wilkes; Corporate Partner is RBC Wealth Management. Production Patron is Laura Z. Barket; Corporate Production Patron is Westfair TV Audio. Opening Night Sponsor is RDM Financial Group at Hightower; Together at the Table Sponsors are Paige and Jodi Couture, with generous support from Westport Rotary.
For “A Sherlock Carol” information and tickets, visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/a-sherlock-carol/