The stage & screen star comes home for the holidays to headline annual A Musical Christmas Carol
By Sharon Eberson
Two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris will become part of a three-decade holiday tradition when he takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in Pittsburgh CLO’s A Musical Christmas Carol.
In recent years, Dickens’ infamous miser, who is reformed by ghostly visitations, has been inhabited by stage and screen stars such as Richard Thomas and Patrick Page – the latter among Cerveris’ co-stars on the HBO series The Gilded Age.
That tradition continues with Cerveris headlining the show, a mainstay for local actors and an introduction to newcomers including Renee Elise Goldsberry throughout its 31 years. A Musical Christmas Carol runs Dec. 9-23 in its Cultural District home, the Byham Theater.
Cerveris, who grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, spent time as a Pittsburgher himself not too long ago. While filming the Netflix series Mindhunter and the film Basic Psych, he lived in Sewickley, not far from his father, who resides in Franklin Park.
Cerveris won his Tony Awards for the acclaimed Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins and as the leading man in best musical Fun Home. Other Tony nominations include the title role in John Doyle’s take on Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, opposite Patti LuPone.
Cerveris, who spends much of his time between New York and New Orleans, also records and tours with the band Loose Cattle.
“I feel very grateful being invited to join the Pittsburgh CLO as part of this most treasured holiday tradition,” Cerveris said in a statement. “I think nearly all of us see ourselves somewhere in the tale of Scrooge’s redemption. The story’s message, that we can all still change for the better, is one that means more than ever these days. And getting to share the ways this tale makes a place for every one of us at the holiday table…well it’s a true gift.”
Mark Fleischer, CLO’s executive producer, said, “Casting the perfect actor to play temperamental Scrooge is a key element of what makes the show so special year after year. I am so pleased that Michael is joining us in Pittsburgh to be a part of this special production and to entertain local audiences as the miserly Mr. Scrooge who finds love, hope and redemption in the end.”
He added that it was a bonus to bring Cerveris “home for the holidays – with his dad.”
Other CLO and Pittsburgh traditions that continue in 2022 are preshow carolers and student matinees that each year attract 7,000 young people to see live theater in the Cultural District.
A Musical Christmas Carol will be presented at the Byham Theater December 9-23. Tickets: $25-$75 at https://www.pittsburghclo.org/buy-tickets or by calling 412-456-6666. More info: https://www.pittsburghclo.org/shows/a-musical-christmas-carol.
Categories: Show Previews
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