Complete with Ebeneezer Scrooge, the Cratchits and adorable Tiny Tim, A Kelowna Christmas Carol is a family spectacular show by Bonnie Gratz. Don’t miss this very special version of Dicken’s Christmas Carol which is an Okanagan favourite! Running at the Mary Irwin Theatre at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, from November 27th to December 7th 2024.
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Bonnie is an actor-director-playwright-teacher with over 35 years of experience in theatre and film. Her work has been toured and performed at theatres throughout Western Canada. Bonnie thanks her family and her collaborators for all of the incredible work that they have put into this holiday spectacular. Bonnie is a proud member of the Canadian Guild of Stage Directors & Choreographers, PGC and LMDA. Kelowna is a beautiful place to live and inspired this trip back in time. Enjoy!
Benjy is thrilled to be a part of this amazing show! He has done a variety of shows here starting with the six-week kids classes and this is his first main-stage. You have seen him in such New Vintage shows as Philip Elton (Emma! a pop musical), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet: a modern musical), Mike/Karl (Freaky Friday), and Sonny (Grease). He is also rehearsing for Hadestown as a worker at Kelowna Actors Studio. He hopes you enjoy this classic and beautiful show! Benjy thinks you should see the show for its classic story and adaptation about our city and its history. The actors have worked so hard to put this show together piece by piece just to create an amazing, beautiful, sometimes eerie masterpiece.
Brock is a fine artist and actor who works throughout the Okanagan. He is also a drama teacher for New Vintage Theatre's youth and teen performance classes. A veteran of many a holiday show, Brock wishes you a Merry Christmas and thanks you for coming to A Kelowna Christmas Carol.
Merry Christmas and welcome to a A Kelowna Christmas Carol. New Vintage Theatre's original adaptation of Dicken's classic short story. Marley who in our production is the notorious local rancher of old Arthur Booth Knox will be portrayed by Chuck Peeren. Last seen locally as Sean in the SOAP production of Norm Fosters "Halfway There" and as the Wolf in "Shrek the Musical". Chuck is no stranger to Kelowna stages having appeared previosly in New Vintages "Mousetrap" as Mr Paravicini, "North Pole Stories" as Kris Kringle and "Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" as Aslan. Sit back and enjoy as we transport you to a time in Kelowna's not too distant past to discover that "business" involves more than the "bottom line". Chuck dedicates this performance to his lovely wife Barb without who's assistance his appearance would not be possible.
After various season's tickets to various local theatre companies, Dave decided to try theatre from behind the curtain. Known" for his "award winning" acting debut (the award being a high five from his wife) as "the souvlaki guy" in the New Vintage Theatre production of "Elf! The Musical", Dave had a taste of theatre and now he wants more. As a Kelowna veteran of 30 plus years, Dave Hewko feels lucky and is excited to have the opportunity to portray the infamous Bob Cratchit in New Vintage's Kelowna themed "A Kelowna Christmas Carol" with such an amazing cast and crew! He hopes you have as much fun watching it as he did being in it!
Derek has worked in set design for many shows with New Vintage, and previously with Stage West and Centre Stage Theatre in Calgary. He has a background in product design and development, and by day he is at UBC Okanagan working with professors and mentoring tech start-ups. Derek is proud to be Bonnie's partner in life and in the creative process and is excited to be part of this fun Christmas classic. Enjoy the show!
Eddie is an actor from Oyama who likes to play drums and has worked with New Vintage Theatre since he was five years old. He has appeared in the previous A Kelowna Christmas Carol, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, North Pole Stories, and Elf! The Musical. He likes to learn interesting facts from behind the scenes in movies and theatre. Fun fact: Eddie played Tiny Tim in A Kelowna Christmas Carol 2017. His favourite thing about the show is that it’s a great show that is overflowing with Christmas spirit and joy!
Erin is very excited to be in A Kelowna Christmas Carol. You may recognize her from Freaky Friday The Musical or Totally Killer Thriller. She wants to thank her family and especially all her friends for supporting her through her work on this show. Erin says: “This is a fantastic, heartwarming, show with a wonderful and kind cast, and it will definitely brighten your day.”
Hamish is very excited to be in A Kelowna Christmas Carol. This Hamish's 7-8th show with New Vintage Theatre. He was born in Scotland and moved to Canada when he was very young. He wishes everyone in the audience a Merry Christmas and especially his family from Scotland and his cousin Airlie.
Harsh first appeared on stage at age 59 as a cult leader in New Vintage Theatre’s Dead Serious in September 2020, and since then he has performed in over a dozen productions including Mousetrap, And Then There Were None, and Deathtrap. He hopes like Dr. Benjamin Boyce does That: “Our fellow man should be remembered this Christmas season with kindness and generosity.”
My name is Kelty Hillis, I am 12 years old and a 7th grader. I enjoy Girl Guides and Air Cadets in my free time. I have lived in Peachland my entire life, and I have a little 7 year old sister.
Kendra is excited to be a part of A Kelowna Christmas Carol. Having been a part of A Seussified Christmas Carol with Theatre Kelowna Society, Kendra Holly is excited to return to the story in a new light. Kendra can be found next in the Fringe Festival in March of 2025. She wishes you Happy Holidays and to enjoy the show.
Matt is thrilled to be stage managing this amazing show. They have stage managed shows in the past including Narnia, Cabaret, The Mouse Trap, Elf! The Musical, and The Rocky Horror Show. They also teach fun and exciting theatre classes with New Vintage, come see Rock of Ages teen edition March 7th and 8th!
McKenzie McFarlane is thrilled to be part of A Kelowna Christmas Carol! She brings a passion for the arts and a deep love for storytelling to every performance. With a background in improv, McKenzie has enjoyed bringing (planned) characters to life on stage. Past credits include participating in the last season of the Kelowna Fringe Festival. Outside of the theater, she enjoys exploring the Okanagan, which inspires her creativity and dedication to each role. McKenzie would like to thank their fiancé Hamish for their support, and improv teacher Stephen Keppler for giving her the confidence to return to the stage! Enjoy the show!
Mika is so excited and incredibly grateful to be apart of this cast! This is her second Main Stage show with New Vintage Theatre but definitely not her last! She wants to thank her family, the cast and crew, and you, for coming!! In Mika’s words: “This rendition of a Christmas Carol has the plot from Charles Dickens’ original story but has the history of Kelowna. Since the characters and setting are based off our own home it creates such a personal connection. That’s what makes this story feel so real and nostalgic.”
Noah has been taking classes with New Vintage Theatre since 2022 and had his main stage debut in 2023 in Elf! The Musical. Getting to know more about Kelowna’s history through this fun twist on the Christmas classic has been a highlight and being able to play Tiny Tim and Young Scrooge has been so fun. Noah says everyone should see this play because you will learn more about the history of Kelowna!
Reid is a fourth year UBCO student studying history and political science. Reid was last seen in Elf! The Musical and has worked on most New Vintage Theatre productions. Reid is also a producer for the pop culture festival KFX. He is very happy to have worked on this play with this incredible team.
Rosemary started her acting adventure by taking one of New Vintage’s acting courses more than 10 years ago. She’s been actively involved in the Film and Theatre community ever since performing with a variety of Theatre Groups, Film Productions and recently in an TV Series episode. She loves performing on stage and hopes you enjoy this heartwarming Christmas classic!
Sammy is excited to perform as Belle in a Kelowna Christmas Carol for her first main stage show at New Vintage Theatre. She happily thanks all the sponsors/donors for helping with this show and loves how hard working and talented everyone in the cast is! She hopes you enjoy this heart-warming performance. Sammy says this about the show: “Every person in the cast is spending a lot time researching on their character so that the show can be truly amazing. If you want to understand a bit more about Kelowna’s history along with the story of how important family and friendship is, I recommend you watch!”
Scott Lougheed is new to scripted theatre, but not the stage. He spent large portions of his life playing in rock bands you haven’t heard of, and worked as a sound engineer mixing bands, some of which you may have heard of. He found his way to the theatre through comedy and improv. Always willing to say “yes and…”, he couldn’t turn down an offer to play Ebenezer Scrooge. He was born in rural Alberta, grew up in Victoria, and landed in Kelowna after stints in Kingston Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. Grateful to be back in his home province since 2020 where he lives with his spouse and cats, he’s thrilled to be part of the New Vintage community.
Scott has this to say about the show: “A Kelowna Christmas Carol is as timeless as Dickens’ original. It speaks to issues of inequality in our community, and the injustices related to how our personal wellbeing and survival are tied to money. It’s been a deeply rewarding experience to find Scrooge in me, to see his trauma as the origins of his bitterness and find compassion and empathy for a complex character without excusing his misdeeds. I hope this timeless piece inspires some introspection… or at least brings some holiday coziness and cheer.”
Zoë Caine is a West Kelowna based author, photographer, illustrator, and actor. ‘A Kelowna Christmas Carol’ is the first production that she has taken part of with New Vintage Theatre. When she’s not rehearsing, Zoë can be found at home working on her book and cuddling her two massive dogs. In Zoe’s words: “A Kelowna Christmas Carol is a very immersive and fun spin on a timeless classic with excellent messaging. It’s a production that is sure to leave the whole family full of holiday cheer!”