Milwaukee Repertory Theater Names Pillar Partner Safe & Sound Recipient of the A Christmas Carol Families Program

November 15, 2018 – [Milwaukee] 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 40 years playing to over 1.5 million people making it Milwaukee’s favorite holiday tradition.  Keeping with The Rep’s mission to creating positive change in the community, it is pleased to announce the recipients of the A Christmas Carol Families Program and Tiny Tim Ticket Program for 2018.

This year the A Christmas Carol Families Program, which raises funds for underprivileged families during the holiday season through audience donations at every performance of A Christmas Carol, will benefit families connected with Safe & Sound, one of The Rep’s Pillar Partners.  Safe & Sound’s mission is to unite residents, youth, law enforcement and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods. Rep staff and volunteers will use the collected donations to purchase holiday gifts for these families in need. Any leftover funds are then donated to Safe & Sound for all the excellent work they do in the community.  In years past, The Rep has raised over $40,000 annually toward these efforts benefiting such organizations as United Community Center, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Running Rebels, COA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, La Causa, Journey House, Sojourner Family Peace Center, Next Door Foundation and more.

“Our A Christmas Carol Families Program has become as much a tradition as the show itself,” stated Milwaukee Rep Executive Director Chad Bauman.   “Over the years, The 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 continue the theme of hope displayed in A Christmas Carol by raising funds to support local families and the exceptional work of our Pillar Partner Safe & Sound.”

“Safe & Sound is extremely grateful for this very generous gift,” stated Safe & Sound Executive Director, Katie Sanders.  “The families we work with on a daily basis will benefit greatly from this initiative, and we look forward to making their holiday seasons a little brighter. We are very lucky to have Milwaukee Repertory Theater as a partner in Milwaukee and to have been selected for this opportunity.”

The Tiny Tim Ticket Program provides 2,500 free tickets to low-income and underserved families, youth and seniors so they can experience the magic of live theater.  Funded by the Patty and Jay Baker Foundation since inception in 1993 the Tiny Tim Ticket Program has grown exponentially over the years thanks to an additional $25,000 grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.  This year’s participation organizations are:

Benedict Center

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee

Boys and Girls Clubs

Carter’s Christian Academy

Children’s Hospital – Community Services

COA Youth & Family Centers – Amani Night

COA Youth & Family Centers – HIPPY

Dominican Center

Feast of Crispian

Hephatha Church

Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee

Independence First

Journey House

Literacy Services of Wisconsin

Meta House

Metropolitan Associates – Layton Gardens

Milwaukee Christian Center

Neighborhood House of Milwaukee

Project Return

Safe & Sound

Social Development Commission

Tamarack Waldorf School

United Community Center

Unity In Motion

USO Wisconsin

Waukesha County Extension

YWCA

Adapted by Artistic Director Mark Clements, A Christmas Carol has just the right blend of beautiful music, lively dancing, stunning sets and eye-popping special effects to fill any sized stocking hung by the chimney with care.  Purchase ticket online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling The Rep’s Ticket Office 414-224-9490 or in-person at 108 East Wells Street.  A Christmas Carol runs November 27 – December 24, 2018 in the historic Pabst Theater.

A Christmas Carol is presented by Wells Fargo and Jay Franke and David Herro with Executive Producers Anthony Petullo Foundation and Associate Producers Molly and Tom Duffey. The Media Sponsor is Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Equipment Sponsor is Studio Gear.

About Safe & Sound

Safe & Sound is a Milwaukee non-profit with a mission to unite residents, youth, law enforcement and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods. Safe & Sound’s Neighborhood Teams implement strategic neighborhood engagement and programming that brings neighbors together to create a sense of community and improve public safety through community organizing, youth development and partnerships with law enforcement. Through activities like block club formation, youth-focused projects and events, front-porch conversations, and nuisance abatement, Safe & Sound connects families to programming, and that of our many dedicated partners for additional resources and support. Over the past 20 years, Safe & Sound has developed a nationally recognized, effective model that is successful in improving public safety in targeted Milwaukee neighborhoods.

About Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin in terms of audiences served and one of the largest professional theaters in the country. Each year, The Rep welcomes up to 275,000 people at nearly 700 performances of 15 productions ranging from compelling dramas, powerful classics, new plays and full-scale musicals in its three unique performance venues – the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret. Now in its 65^th Season, The Rep has gained a national reputation as an incubator of new work, an agent of community change and a forward-thinking provider of vital arts education programs. 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.

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.