Theatre News Wire

Holiday cheer returns to the Goodman Theatre for the 48th consecutive year with the Centennial Season production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Directed for the first time by BOLD Artistic Producer Malkia Stampley, the cast features Christopher Donahue returning for his second year as Ebenezer Scrooge, Ella Boparai (Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker) making her Goodman debut as Tiny Tim and Chiké Johnson (Ashland Avenue) performing as Scrooge for 10 shows. Performers joining the cast of this beloved Chicago holiday tradition for the first time include Christiana Clark (Primary Trust), Elleon Dobias (Writers Theatre’s Once), Benjamin Heppner, Chris Khoshaba (Layalina), Helen Joo Lee (The Antiquities), Isabelle Muthia (Metropolis Theater’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise), Sól Fuller (Raven Theatre’s The Prodigal Daughter), Mizha Lee Overn (Kokandy Productions’ Amélie the Musical) and young performers A’mia Imani (Uptown Music Theatre’s Hairspray) Carmelo Kelly (Beverly Arts Center’s Oliver) and Sebastian Rus (Lodge Arts Center’s The Lion King Jr.). Boparai, Imani, Kelly and Rus are joined by two returning young performers: Viva Boresi and Henry Lombardo. A Christmas Carol runs November 15 through December 31 in the 856-seat Albert Theatre. 

A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre in Chicago

“Right now, there’s a community of theater artists across the country working on their own productions of A Christmas Carol. I can’t think of anything else we do at The Goodman that feels so synchronistic, connected and wonderful—especially when stories of redemption, of soul, are so deeply necessary,” said Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “And it’s essential that the director possesses, at once, fantastic craft and an enormous heart. It is my delight that this year at The Goodman, that torch is passed to Malkia Stampley.”

“I think about the three ghosts who visit Scrooge, challenge him, and ultimately make him better. And then I think about the ghosts in my life,” said director Malkia Stampley. “Theater is a huge ghost of mine that constantly challenges me to ask, ‘How can I be a better human? How can I better tell a story that fits yesterday, today and tomorrow? Who can I help, and what help do I need?’ Theater challenges that, in all of us. And A Christmas Carol is one of the greatest expressions of that challenge. Directing this show is a gift, and I am humbled."

Rediscover Dickens’ classic with an adaptation that “makes you believe kindness can win” (Chicago Tribune). Follow Ebenezer Scrooge, a businessman whose disdain for the holidays is transformed on Christmas Eve. Featuring a “first-rate cast and marvelous staging” (Chicago Sun-Times), this tale remains “the best Christmas story ever told” (Time Out Chicago).

Christopher Donahue (Ebenezer Scrooge) has appeared at The Goodman in The Baltimore Waltz, The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, Arcadia, Journey to the West, The Odyssey, Silk, The Cherry Orchard and A Christmas Carol. In Chicago, he's worked at Court Theatre, Lookingglass, Chicago Opera Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Annoyance Theatre, Remains Theatre and Stories on Stage. He has performed at many theaters across the country, most recently as the Stage Manager in Mary Zimmerman's production of Our Town at Cleveland Play House.

Ella Boparai, she/her (Tiny Tim) is delighted to make her Goodman Theatre debut. Boparai previously performed in the Joffrey Ballet’s 2024 production of The Nutcracker. She is in her third year with the competitive dance team at Visceral Dance Studio, where she studies ballet, contemporary and jazz. Boparai discovered her love of theater under the guidance of Wendy Andrews and through performances in school musicals. Other credits include various locally-filmed commercials. In her free time, Boparai studies piano, voice and French. Boparai is proudly represented by Big Mouth Talent.

Chiké Johnson (Alternate Scrooge) was most recently seen in Goodman Theatre’s production of Ashland Avenue. Other credits at The Goodman include Toni Stone. Johnson is a company member of Remy Bumppo Theatre and has worked on many stages in Chicago and around the country. Some of his Chicago credits include: Northlight's production of Birthday Candles; Remy Bumppo’s world premiere production of Galileo’s Daughter; and the world premiere of When Harry Met Rehab at the Greenhouse Theater Center. Regional credits include: American Player’s Theatre’s Ma Rainy’s Black Bottom and King Lear. New York credits include: Ruined at Manhattan Theatre Club; RunBoyRun at New York Theatre Workshop; and New York City Center’s Encores Lost in the Stars. His Broadway credits include Time to Kill and Wit.

Malkia Stampley, she/her (Director) is a twice Jeff-nominated director from Milwaukee and The Goodman’s BOLD Artistic Producer since 2021. Goodman Theatre directing credits: BUST (associate director), Primary Trust, In My Granny’s Garden, New Stages' Cephianne's Reflection. Additional directing: Rivendell, Raven, Definition, Congo Square, TimeLine, Court, Chicago Shakespeare, Stage Left, Kansas City Rep, Orlando Shakespeare, Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee Chamber, Skylight Music, Black Arts MKE, Northern Sky, American Players, Farmers Alley, Northwestern, First Stage, Inc. Co-founder: Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, Bronzeville Arts Ensemble.

Full company of A Christmas Carol (in alphabetical order)
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Tom Creamer
Directed by Malkia Stampley

Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele...Maxine Fezziwig/Ensemble/Abigail
Ella Boparai...Tiny Tim/Want
Viva Boresi...Belinda Cratchit
Tatiana Bustamante...Belle/Ensemble
Christiana Clark...Mrs. Fezziwig/Mrs. Dilber
Amira Danan...Frida
Elleon Dobias...Musician
Christopher Donahue...Ebenezer Scrooge
Arash Fakhrabadi...Young Scrooge/Ensemble/Undertaker
Sól Fuller...Martha Cratchit/Ensemble/Fan/Catherine
Brian A. Goodwin...Musician
Jalbelly Guzmán...Felicity/Ensemble/Hat Seller
Benjamin Heppner...Musician
Gregory Hirte...Musician
A’mia Imani...Emily Cratchit
Anthony Irons...Ortle/School Official/Old Joe
Chiké Johnson...Alternate Scrooge
Carmelo Kelly...Gregory Cratchit/Newspaper Seller/Ignorance/Turkey Child
Chris Khoshaba...Dick Wilkins/Ensemble
Helen Joo Lee...Mrs. Cratchit
Henry Lombardo...Peter Cratchit/Boy Scrooge
Daniel José Molina...Marley/Ghost of Christmas Future
Isabelle Muthiah...Ensemble/Chestnut Seller
Jon Hudson Odom...Bob Cratchit
Robert Schleifer...Mr. Fezziwig
Lucky Stiff...Ghost of Christmas Past/Topper/Makeup Consultant for Christmas Past
Bethany Thomas...Charwoman/Ghost of Christmas Present
Austin Tichenor...Crumb

Understudies for this production include Hillary Bayley, Jordan Golding, Loren Jones, Mizha Lee Overn, Sebastian Rus and Anne Sheridan Smith.??

Creative Team
Choreographer...Tor Campbell
Composer...Andy Hansen
Music Director...Gregory Hirte
Fly Director...Andrea Gentry
Voice & Dialect Coach...Michelle Lopez-Rios
Assistant Director...Michael Cotey
Assistant Choreographer...Jalbelly Guzmán
Line Producer...Lena Romano
Costume Designer...Heidi Sue McMath
Lighting Designer...Keith Parham
Associate Lighting Designer...Brian Elston
Set Designer...Todd Rosenthal
Sound Designer...Pornchanok “Nok” Kanchanabanca
Assistant Sound Designer...Hannah Kwak
Script Production Assistant...Jojo Wallenberg
Young Performer Supervisors...Gabriel Anderle and Hope X. Still