Milwaukee Repertory Theater Names Community Advocates Recipient of the A Christmas Carol Families Program

November 26, 2024 (Milwaukee, WI) Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a timeless tale of hope and redemption that has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee Repertory Theater for more than 49 years, playing to over 1.5 million people, making it Milwaukee’s favorite holiday tradition. Keeping with Milwaukee Rep’s mission to create positive change in the community, it is pleased to announce the recipients of the A Christmas Carol Families Program and A Christmas Carol Community Tickets Program for 2024.

This year the A Christmas Carol Families Program, which raises funds for families in need during the holiday season through audience donations at every performance of A Christmas Carol will benefit families connected with Community Advocates whose mission is to provide individuals and families with advocacy and services to meet their basic needs so they may live in dignity. Community Advocates serves 50,000 people annually in the areas of housing stabilization, eviction prevention, energy assistance, domestic violence, substance misuse, disability advocacy, and youth and family strengthening. Community Advocates welcomes walk-in clients five days a week at their main service location, 728 N. James Lovell St.

“On behalf of Community Advocates and the families we serve, I would like to thank the Milwaukee Rep and its audience members for their generosity,” said Andi Elliott, Community Advocates CEO. “This time of year can be especially challenging for families who can’t afford basic necessities, not to mention holiday gifts. The extra support from Milwaukee Rep will lift our families’ spirits well beyond the holidays. Milwaukee Rep’s A Christmas Carol programs speak to the values of the organization’s leaders, staff, performers, and supporters, as well as its role as an anchor in the Milwaukee community.”

In years past, Milwaukee Rep has raised over $40,000 annually toward these efforts benefiting such organizations as United Community Center, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Safe & Sound, Running Rebels, COA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, La Causa, Journey House, Sojourner Family Peace Center, Next Door Foundation and more. The dollars raised go towards purchasing gifts for the families identified by the partner organization. Milwaukee Rep staff purchase, wrap, and deliver the gifts with the help of other organizations including Associated Bank, MGIC and Baird.

“Our A Christmas Carol Families Program has become as much a tradition as the show itself,” stated Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements. “Over the years, Rep staff has volunteered thousands of hours, and our audiences have proven to be amazingly generous to ensure that families in need are not forgotten this holiday season. We are thrilled to be able to continue the theme of hope displayed in A Christmas Carol by raising funds to support local families and the exceptional work of our partner Community Advocates.”

The A Christmas Carol Community Tickets Program provides over 1,200 free tickets to low-income and underserved families, youth and seniors so they can experience the magic of live theater. Since its inception in 1993 the A Christmas Carol Community Tickets Program continues to make an impact. This year’s participating organizations include:
AFS Exchange Students, America’s Black Holocaust Museum, Art Start, Bay View Community Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Coalition on Lead Emergency, Community Advocates, Electra Quinney Institute for American Indian Education, Emerging Leaders, Extension Waukesha County, Feast of Crispian, Filipino American Association of Wisconsin, First Stage, Great Lakes Adult, Greater Praise Church, HIR Wellness Institute, Independence First, Journey House, Latino Arts, Inc., Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Milwaukee Public Schools, Near West Side Partners, Neu-Life Community Development, Pink Umbrella Theater Company, Project Kindred, Safe & Sound, Sirona Recovery, Southeastern Oneida Tribal Services, TBEY Arts Center, Inc., Teen Challenge, Teen Council, The Women’s Center, TransCenter for Youth, and USO Wisconsin.

Milwaukee’s favorite holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol returns for the 49^th Anniversary, November 26 – December 24, 2024, in the historic Pabst Theater. Adapted and directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements, A Christmas Carol is one of the best-known and loved stories in the English language. During the course of one memorable Christmas Eve the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future help Scrooge discover it is never too late to change his miserly ways. Enchanting music, dance, costumes, scenery and special effects will once again fill the theater to tell this timeless tale of love, hope and redemption. To purchase tickets to A Christmas Carol visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.

About Milwaukee Repertory Theater:
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with its new artistic home in the Associated Bank Theater Center opening Fall 2025 with three unique performance venues – the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, Herro-Franke Studio Theater and Stackner Cabaret. For over seven decades, Milwaukee Rep has been a centerpiece of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with productions ranging from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare to American Classics and New Works that are entertaining, inclusive and impactful. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity. More information is available at www.MilwaukeeRep.com

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.