Milwaukee Repertory Theater Names Jewish Family Services Recipient of the A Christmas Carol Families Program

November 20, 2025 (Milwaukee, WI) Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s A Christmas Carol celebrates its’ 50th Anniversary this holiday season, playing to over 1.7 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 Associated Bank A Christmas Carol Families Program and A Christmas Carol Community Tickets Program for 2025.

This year the Associated Bank 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 to Jewish Family Services (JFS) whose mission is to provide supportive services that strengthen families, children and individuals throughout the life cycle within the context of their unique needs and traditions. JFS welcomes anyone who comes to them and strives to provide the best in clinical therapies, case management services, and caring homes. Since 1867, JFS has been helping people regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle or ability to pay.

“It is a true honor to be chosen by the Milwaukee Rep Community Impact Council for this year’s gift initiative,” said Dan Fleischman, JFS Interim President and CEO. “This recognition provides us with a chance to support families who are navigating the harshest of circumstances. We are thankful for this partnership and for the chance to share in Milwaukee Rep’s mission of uplifting our community through generosity and compassion.”

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, Community Advocates, 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.
“As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of A Christmas Carol at Milwaukee Rep, we’re reminded of the enduring power of this story to inspire compassion, generosity, and transformation,” said Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements. “Our A Christmas Carol Families Program has become as much a tradition as the show itself, and we’re proud to continue channeling the play’s spirit of hope into real-life support for families in need through our partnership with Jewish Family Services.”

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: America’s Black Holocaust Museum, Art Start, Bay View Community Center, Benedict Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, Children’s Wisconsin, Community Advocates, Dominican Center, El Bethel Church, El Puente High School, Great Lakes Adult & Teen Challenge, Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation, Greater Praise Church, HIR Wellness Institute, Independence First, Journey House, Latino Arts, Inc., Life Navigators, Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Muskego Way Forward, Near West Side Partners, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, Penfield Children’s Center, Pink Umbrella Theater, Project Kindred, Project Return, RUBIES Corporation, Safe & Sound, Sirona Recovery, Sojourner Family Peace Center, Southeastern Oneida Tribal Services, TBEY Arts Center, The Women’s Center, TransCenter for Youth, and World Outreach & Bible Training Center.

Milwaukee’s favorite holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol returns for the 50th Anniversary, November 25 – December 24, 2025, in the historic Pabst Theater. Experience the magic of this beloved tale as Ebenezer Scrooge’s heartwarming transformation inspires holiday cheer with the timeless message of peace, hope and joy. With beautiful music, lively dancing, stunning sets and eye-popping special effects, it’s a dazzling Christmas feast with enough theatrical goodies to fill any sized stocking hung by the chimney with care. To purchase tickets to A Christmas Carol visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.

About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater is one of the nation’s first regional theaters and Wisconsin’s largest performing arts organization, presenting a variety of world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire audiences. Led by Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director Chad Bauman and Artistic Director Mark Clements, Milwaukee Rep is as an anchoring civic, economic and cultural institution in the downtown Milwaukee Theater District. Through staging new plays, beloved classics, compelling dramas, and full-scale musicals from emerging and established voices; its John D. Lewis New Play Development Program that incubates new work from a wide spectrum of innovative voices; education initiatives that eliminate barriers to the arts; and community engagement programs that bring people together to explore new perspectives, Milwaukee Rep inspires meaningful dialogue and enacts positive change within the Milwaukee community. With the opening of its new home in the Associated Bank Theater Center, Milwaukee Rep deepens and expand its reach with three state-of-the-art, fully accessible theaters, a dedicated education and engagement center, and a variety of welcoming community spaces. For more information, please visit 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.