Thank you to everyone from around St. Louis, across the country, and across the world who joined us for this very special holiday event in 2020!

All donations support MTC’s efforts to connect young people, families, and teachers to theater through virtual programs, live events (once they are again safe), and in-school arts integrated curriculum. Studies increasingly show the powerful impact of theater on the social-emotional learning of young people, enabling them to develop empathy, build an understanding of differences, and even inspire a deep sense of hope for the future. Your gift to MTC makes that possible for tens of thousands of young people in St. Louis and beyond each year.

Major support for Metro Theater Company is provided by Emerson, Centene, Arts & Education Council, Berges Family Foundation, Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Missouri Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and Regional Arts Commission.

A Christmas Carol: A St. Louis Virtual Holiday Reading
Ages 6+ / 60 minutes

Metro Theater Company presents a special virtual event for families this December to help keep the community connected during a holiday season that has been transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. MTC’s A Christmas Carol brings together artists, athletes, civic leaders, media personalities, and first responders, for a streamed reading of Charles Dickens’s holiday classic.

The beloved holiday story of redemption, transformation, and goodwill comes to life in this all-St. Louis reading. The abridged script was adapted by MTC Artistic Director Julia Flood. More than 25 outstanding St. Louisans serve as readers for the broadcast, each contributing excerpts on camera, stitched together to create the final broadcast. The lineup includes Emmy-nominated television star Ellie Kemper, award-winning actors/producers Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, American Ninja Warrior Jamie Rahn (aka Captain NBC), two-time Tony Award-winning actress Judith Ivey, St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, Grammy Award-winning soprano Christine Brewer, film, stage and voice actor Ken Page, nationally syndicated columnist and St. Louis Post-Dispatch editor Aisha Sultan, president of the St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature Julius B. Anthony, and medical director for the St. Louis Fire Department Mark Levine.

National Artists from St. Louis
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us, Black Panther, Frozen 2
Ellie Kemper, Emmy-nominated for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Office
Ryan Michelle Bathé, All Rise, Sylvie’s Love, and The First Wives Club
Judith Ivey, two-time Tony Award-winning actress
Ken Page, Drama Desk Award winner, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Cats
Christine Brewer, Grammy Award-winning soprano
Justin Willman, star and creator of Netflix original series Magic for Humans
Shawn Weil, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra & The 442s violinist (performing holiday music)

Athletes
Paul Goldschmidt, first baseman, St. Louis Cardinals
John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, St. Louis Cardinals
Jamie Rahn, American Ninja Warrior

Media
Charlie Brennan, KMOX morning host, Donnybrook contributor, and author
Ruth Ezell, senior producer, Nine Network of Public Media
Tim Gore, director of educational initiatives, HEC-Media
Aisha Sultan, home and family editor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Julie Tristan, midday host, Y98 & “Spotlight STL” producer HEC-Media on KPLR11
Local Leaders in Children’s Literature
Julius B. Anthony, president, St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature
Miranda Rodriguez Rosbach, children’s literature blogger, My Book Bloom
Deborah Jackson Taffa, writer and storyteller

First Responders
Dr. Jennifer Horst, pediatric emergency physician, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Jessica Jackson, St. Louis City firefighter
Dr. Erin Kane, COVID emergency room physician, Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Dr. Mark Levine, medical director for the St. Louis Fire Department
Lamarr Mosley, essential worker

Beloved Metro Theater Company Performers
Soupy Alan David, The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas
Alicia Revé Like, Ghost and It’s a Wonderful Life
Carl Overly, Jr., Ghost and It’s a Wonderful Life
Jacqueline Thompson, Early Days and Ghost
Roxane McWilliams, It’s a Wonderful Life and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Carol North, former Metro Theater Company artistic director

MTC Staff
Julia Flood, Artistic Director
Joe Gfaller, Managing Director
Erik Kuhn, Technical Director & Production Manager
Jennifer Lin, Content Marketing Manager
Liz Sondhaus, Audience Development & Community Engagement Manager
Sarah Thompson, Director of Communications & Media
John Wolbers, Producing Associate
Gen Zoufal, Resident Teaching Artist