Photo Flash: A Very Phoenix Xmas 6: Our Goose is Cooked!

The Phoenix Theatre of Indianapolis will produce A Very Phoenix Xmas 6: Our Goose is Cooked as its annual alternative holiday production from December 1-23, 2011. Conceived and directed by Phoenix Theatre Producing Director Bryan Fonseca, this show is a tribute to variety shows of the past and includes humorous and poignant sketches, traditional and not-so-traditional holiday music and dance numbers.

The variety show format embraced by all productions in the A Very Phoenix Xmas series is unique in Indianapolis and was born out of a need for the theatre to fulfill its mission and celebrate local talent, including actors, designers and playwrights. "We had included a holiday-themed play in our season for many years," stated Fonseca. "They were successful, but we felt that with all the talent available to us locally, we could build our own production by having all these gifted local artists work together and be a part of the process."

This year's show is no exception, with several sketches from various playwrights - both local and from across the country - that include Christmas, Hanukkah and a few other holidays thrown in. "We have six excellent voices this year, so we are taking advantage of that talent by including several musical numbers and at least one a capella piece," stated Fonseca. "The cast this year includes four actors that have been in at least one Xmas show and a few that are new to the production. We are certainly proud to have Chuck Goad back at the Phoenix for this holiday season."
With the recent success of musicals Avenue Q and Spring Awakening, dance will be a bigger part of this year's show. Choreographer and Dance Kaleidoscope performer Marielle Greenlee will be working with the cast on a few special dance numbers. "Every year, the dance numbers are among favorites with the audience, so we are pulling out all the stops for dance numbers this year," says Fonseca. This year's sketches include ones written by previous Xmas favorites Daniel Guyton and Mark Harvey Levine, as well as some new playwrights.

The cast includes four veterans of past Phoenix Xmas productions: Scot Greenwell, Jason Gloye, Claire Wilcher and Gayle Steigerwald. Rounding out the cast are Carly Kincannon and Abby Gillan (both recent cast members of Spring Awakening at the Phoenix) and Charles Goad, who is coming back to theatre after taking a break for over two years.

For A Very Phoenix Xmas 6: Our Goose is Cooked, Bryan Fonseca directs, Lori Raffel is Assistant Director, Kevin D. Smith is musical director, Tim Brickley is designing sound, Kyle Ragsdale is designing the set, resident Phoenix Lighting Designer Laura Glover is designing lights, Ashley Kiefer is the costumes and props, and Dehlia Neylon will stage manage.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND TICKETS
A Very Phoenix Xmas 6: Our Goose is Cooked will be performed on The Phoenix Theatre Mainstage December 1 - 23, 2011. Performances are as follows:

December 1 Thursday 7:00 pm

December 2 Friday (Producer's Party) 8:00 pm
December 3 Saturday 8:00 pm

December 4 Sunday 2:00 pm
December 8 Thursday 7:00 pm

December 9 Friday 8:00 pm
December 10 Saturday 8:00 pm

December 11 Sunday 2:00 pm
December 15 Thursday 7:00 pm

December 16 Friday 8:00 pm
December 17 Saturday 8:00 pm

December 18 Sunday 2:00 pm
December 20 Tuesday 7:00 pm

December 21 Wednesday 7:00 pm
December 22 Thursday 7:00 pm

December 23 Friday 8:00 pm

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: $15 CheapSeats

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: $25 for adults; $15 for ages 20 and under

Group rates are available for parties of 12 or more.

Again this year, there are discounted rates for groups of 15 and more. During the run of the Xmas show, the annual Phoenix Holiday Silent Auction will be held in the theatre lobby. Auction items are displayed in our lobby for patrons to bid on before, during intermission and after the show.
Tickets for all Phoenix Theatre shows may be purchased by calling the box office at 317.635.PLAY (7529) or may be charged on-line at phoenixtheatre.org. All seating is general admission on a first-come, first-served basis. The Phoenix Pub, located inside the theatre, offers beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, and bottled water, as well as treats, and all refreshments may be taken into either theatre and consumed during the performance.

ABOUT The Phoenix Theatre
"The Phoenix Theatre has cornered the market on hip new works." -- Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

The Phoenix Theatre is Indiana's only professional Contemporary Theatre, and has presented productions to challenge and entertain the Indianapolis community for 29 years. An Equity house, the Theatre presents the Midwest and Indiana premieres of many popular Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, and has presented more than 83 world premieres in its quarter century. The Phoenix operates the 130-seat proscenium Mainstage as well as the 75-seat cabaret-style black box Frank & Katrina Basile Theatre. The Phoenix Pub, located in the Basile Theatre, serves beer, wine, coffee, soft drinks, water, and treats, and patrons may take all refreshments into either theatre. Both venues are housed along with administrative offices in a renovated 1907 church in downtown Indianapolis' historic Chatham Arch neighborhood, part of the Mass Ave Arts & Theatre District. The Phoenix Theatre is a member of the National New Play Network and the League of Indianapolis Theatres, and is supported by the Indiana Arts Commission, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as local corporate and foundation funders and more than 400 individual donors.

Carly Kincannon, Charles Goad, Jason Gloye and Gayle Steigerwald

Scot Greenwell, Abby Gillan, Charles Goad and Gayle Steigerwald

Jason Gloye, Charles Goad and Claire Wilcher

Charles Goad and Scot Greenwell

Gayle Steigerwald, Claire Wilcher, Carly Kincannon and Abby Gillan

Claire Wilcher, Abby Gillan and Carly Kincannon