Flashback Theater Co. (FbTC), known for bringing audiences the spring productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Rosies: The Women Who Riveted the Nation, returns with Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. FbTC will produce this brand new Christmas story with the help of local talent this December.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley will feel familiar to fans of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, even though it is an entirely new story. Elizabeth and Jane Bennet return with their ever present charm and wit including a newfound understanding of life after marriage. The middle sister, Mary, benefits from their increased wisdom while Lydia returns for another bout of flirtation with a new man.
Jade Ellis, Director
Leading the production is debut director, Jade Ellis, who is known locally for her work onstage at Somerset Community College and Flashback Theater, and offstage for her textile artwork under the business of A Bazaar Universe. She has served in the Let’s Play! Company at Flashback Theater for two years and performed in FbTC’s production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) in 2016. Jade has traveled extensively, and has also performed in Hawaii with Safety Pin Productions and The Hilo Community Players.
Renate Dopp joins the production team as stage manager. Renate was previously the stage manager for Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) at FbTC in 2016. Previous FbTC acting work includes A Nightmare on Backstreet: A Boy Band Musical Parody (Teddy Crooner), Little Shop of Horrors (voice of Audrey II), and FbTC’s annual Season Announcement Cabaret.
The cast of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
The four ladies portraying the well-loved Bennet sisters are Alex George as Mary, Amber Frangos as Lizzy, Krissy Brant as Jane, and Bailey Patterson as Lydia. These four actors have been seen in various productions at FbTC, including Little Shop of Horrors, Rosies, and And the Tide Shall Cover the Earth.
Rounding out the cast are Brian Simmons as Darcy, Bradley Gilmore as Bingley, Brian Covert as Arthur de Bourgh, and Martha Pratt as Anne de Bourgh. These lucky characters get to call the Bennet sisters family in one way or another and offer interesting, but sometimes conflicting, opinions about the Bennet ladies.
Alex George appeared last season in Rosies: The Women Who Riveted the Nation (Margie) and Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal). She leads FbTC’s Let’s Play! Company and has helped to shape the structure of FbTC’s outreach programming since its start in 2015. A senior in high school, she also has theatrical credits with SCC Theatre and Film, Star Theater, Stage One Family Theatre, and Interlochen Center for The Arts.
Amber Frangos is the resident playwright at FbTC, but she got her start by performing as Granny in And the Tide Shall Cover the Earth. Other past FbTC performances include Circle Mirror Transformation, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Nightmare at Backstreet. At Somerset Community College, her credits include Prometheus the Godfather, Sketches, The Dining Room and an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
By way of Virginia, Chicago, and Boston, Krissy Brant has made Somerset her new home. She is a Sociology PhD candidate at Harvard, and teaches sociology at the University of Tennessee. She played Rose in the spring production of Rosies: The Women Who Riveted the Nation at FbTC.
Bailey Patterson is a student at Southwestern High School who has been interested in musical theatre from an early age. At FbTC, she is a member of the Let’s Play! Company, and was last seen in Rosies: The Women Who Riveted the Nation as Margie in the second cast. She has also performed with Missoula Children’s Theatre, Lake Cumberland Children’s Theatre, and Star Theater in Russell Springs.
Brian Simmons is a new Flashback Theater cast member and Somerset Resident, however, he is not a freshman to stage or film. Having landed his first professional acting role at the age of 16, Brian has performed in various stage, radio and film productions to include principal stage roles in Purlie Victorius, A Soldier’s Play and A Raisin in the Sun. Mr. Simmons has been recognized and awarded not only for his physical acting skills and abilities, but he is also a sought out vocal talent for audio book and voice over projects. Brian is a certified Human Resources subject matter expert and a national Motivational Speaker and Master Edutainer. He was the Host of the five time Emmy-nominated educational television series, kNOwMORE Nonprofits, which has aired for seven years on KETKY and television affiliates throughout the Bluegrass and Ohio Valley regions.
Brian Covert has performed in the FbTC Cabaret, the McNeil Music Center Spring Recital, and the 2nd Annual Shine House Masquerade Ball. He was chosen as a vocal soloist in the 2017 McNeil Winter Music Showcase. Earlier this year, he made his stage acting debut as Mr. Mushnik in FbTC’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Offstage, he runs his own business, Art by Brian, where he specializes in commissioned art, murals, individual lessons, painting classes, and more.
Bradley Gilmore is ready for his first time on stage with FbTC as an actor. He played percussion in the band for the FbTC production of Little Shop of Horrors. Born and raised in Somerset, Kentucky, he has played in bands and been involved with music most of his life. Currently he teaches percussion and guitar at McNeil Music Center.
Martha Pratt is also making her FbTC debut. She has appeared in productions with Somerset Community College Theatre & Film, and is currently cast as Theseus and Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has acted in and directed productions at Good Neighbors Theatre in Byrdstown, TN since 2015.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley has a Christmas setting ready to warm the hearts of all audiences. Single tickets for the show will go on sale on November 20, and all seats are assigned at the time of purchase. Season ticket holders may reserve their seats now.
Location:
Black Box Theater
400 E Mount Vernon St.
Somerset, Kentucky
Tickets:
Adults – $18 Advance, $20 Door
Students – $12 Advance, $15 Door
Season – $50 per person for all Flashback productions through June 2019.
*Taxes and ticketing fees may apply
Box Office Hours:
Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Call (888) 394-FBTC for tickets.
Dates:
Thursday, December 20th at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 21st at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 23rd at 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 27th at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 28th at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 29th at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 30th at 2:30 p.m.
Flashback Theater is grateful to leading season sponsor, Applied Behavioral Advancements, LLC for their ongoing support.The following sponsors have made contributions to Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley: Dr. Joseph & Libby Weigel, McNeil Music Center, WYKY 106.1 FM and WTLO 1480 AM/97.7 FM, and The Parker Agency. Additionally, the Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to Flashback Theater Co. with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional season support also comes from Kentucky Tourism, M&W Printing, and Lumber King Building Supplies.