Devon Energy gifts Lyric Theatre $1M for 2023's 'Christmas Carol' as theater plans last outdoor show

For the third year, Rodney Brazil is spooking audiences with the first scare of a classic holiday ghost story.

The Oklahoma City actor is again taking on triple duty for Lyric Theatre's outdoor production of "A Christmas Carol," playing the cheerful business owner Mr. Fezziwig, the hardened black market dealer Old Joe and the ghost of Jacob Marley, the first specter to appear in Charles Dickens' famed "Ghost Story of Christmas."

"I'm honored to be the first surprise of the show ... but in order to make sure that the surprise occurs, I hide under this tree, from the time before the show even starts. Because if I were to go to my mark after the show started, the audience is already focused in that direction, so they would see me walking across," Brazil said.

"It's a truly unique experience. ... It's the closest you're going to get to feeling really in the same place these characters are, feeling like you're inhabiting the same village with these characters as you follow them along."

For the third and final year, Lyric Theatre is staging its annual production of "A Christmas Carol" outside at the Harn Homestead, where performances are slated for Nov. 16-Dec. 23.

In 2020, Lyric staffers developed a plan for taking the cherished Christmas story outside, creating a uniquely immersive walkthrough version of the show out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this year's dates for the outdoor adaptation, the nonprofit professional theater will move "A Christmas Carol" back to its indoor home in the Plaza District for its 2023 production.

On Tuesday, Devon Energy, which has supported Lyric’s annual holiday show for more than a decade, announced a $1 million gift toward next year’s production of "A Christmas Carol."

"When COVID happened, we knew we had to figure out somehow how to do the show — and it was a success. ... While it was difficult to figure out, in the end, it became very uplifting for the city, for the organization, and we served as an example for other theaters around the country of how to do theater safely until we could come back inside," said Lyric Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron.

"I really was speechless — I still am speechless — at the generosity of Devon Energy and their donation ... for our move back inside next year."

Here's a look at what to expect from Lyric Theatre's last outdoor production of "A Christmas Carol."

How long is the show and where is it happening?

With its 12th annual production of "A Christmas Carol," Lyric's creative team plans to remain faithful, as always, to Dickens' beloved 1843 story. But the outdoor version has been pared down to a lean 75 minutes, making it comfortable for what's literally a briskly moving presentation without intermission. 

Tucked between the state Capitol and downtown Oklahoma City, the Harn Homestead is a 10-acre living history museum. Lyric's "A Christmas Carol" doesn't use all that acreage, but audiences do walk through the story, following the characters to various locales on the property, including the stately 1904 Harn House, the event barn and a grove of trees.

"Audience hosts" costumed as Victorian-era lamplighters guide ticketholders around the Harn Homestead and through the story. Ticketholders are urged to arrive early so they don't miss the group's departure from just inside the Harn Homestead entrance.

The performance is staged in the open air, so patrons are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear shoes that are comfortable for walking. There is no seating provided during the show, but a limited number of portable golf stools will be available for rent at the ticket booth.

Who will be starring in this year's show?

Co-directed by Baron and Lyric Executive Producer and choreographer Ashley Wells, Lyric’s production will again feature two rotating casts of fan-favorite OKC actors. Jonathan Beck Reed and W. Jerome Stevenson will take turns playing the iconic miser Ebenezer Scrooge.

The show's Holly Cast will include Matthew Alvin Brown, Mariah Warren, Susan Riley, Kaylene Snarsky, Emily Pace, Caleb Barnett, Charlie Monnot, Andi Dema, Jason Bias, Hanna Andreassen, Shawntel Black, Austin Rindler, Arlo Poindexter, Jaylynn Nash, Farley McDaniel and Alex Mullings.

The Ivy Cast will feature Brown, Pace, Destyni Williams, Kara Simpson, Kristin Kuns, Jessica Tate, Kaleb Bruza, Maurice Quintel Simmons, Kiara Tournear, Emma Thornhill, Wes Washburn, David Flynn, Chase Maloy, Aubree Churchill, Clayton Jones and Brazil.

"That first year outside, it meant so much to those of us in the show ... because we'd been sidelined from projects all year long. So, getting to get out there and do a show in such a new fashion and in such a beautiful place, we all treasured it that year — and every year, of course. ... It's been a great three years," Brazil said.

Just as many ticketholders consider attending Lyric's "A Christmas Carol" a treasured tradition, Brazil said several of the cast and crew work on the show together every year.

"It's a holiday tradition for the cast, too. ... There's a Christmas party every day in the show. We get to sing Christmas carols every day for the whole season, and even though we're always there, the audience is new every single night," he said.

"It's a story that people can come together on. It's very human, and it's a message that everybody can agree on: the importance of family and friends and gratitude over the miserly commercial nature that can come so often in life all year long for us."

How is the production benefiting a local charity?

In the spirit of Dickens' redemption story, Lyric Theatre is continuing another cherished holiday tradition surrounding its "Christmas Carol": After each performance, cast members literally hold out their hats (or small buckets or baskets), and audiences are invited to donate to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

Over the past 11 years, Lyric Theatre patrons have donated more than $208,000 to help feed thousands of Oklahomans in need.

Last year’s attendees helped provide meals for more than 54,000 people.

What is coming up for Lyric's 'A Christmas Carol' in 2023?

With Lyric Theatre wrapping up its three-year outdoor run with "A Christmas Carol," Baron said he is looking forward to taking what the cast and crew learned from working at the Harn Homestead and using it to improve the theater's indoor production of the familiar favorite in 2023 and beyond.

"Getting outside, I didn't realize, is such a blessing for a theater person who has spent their entire life inside a box. ... Especially after being outside and coming up with fun, creative ideas of what the show could be, when we go back, we really want to do something special," he said. "We do have the ability in the Plaza Theatre to change the theater in a big way to make it ... more of a 360 experience."

The company was planning to launch a new indoor production of the holiday classic in 2021 but delayed its plans due to the pandemic, Baron said. Also, the old set was damaged in a fire in 2021.

Thanks to Devon's generosity, he said fans of "A Christmas Carol" can expect a larger cast, new costumes and a dazzling new set next year.

"The show doesn't cost a million dollars — it costs several hundred thousand — but the rest of that money allows us to make sure that everything is in pristine shape every year, that we're able to build new costumes for new cast members and new children every year. It allows us to look at the story once again and go, 'Hmm. Where has theater grown or changed, and how do we want to tell the story now that isn't the same as we did six years ago, three years ago?'" Baron said.

"It's a wonderful tradition. ... Our box office manager, before he was the box office manager, proposed to his wife on the set. We've had people being married there. People come year after a year with their children and grandchildren, and the cast itself and the company have become a very tight-knit family throughout the years."

The new donation is especially fitting, Baron said, considering that Devon's support was key to Lyric Theatre first staging the yuletide favorite more than a dozen years ago.

“Attending Lyric’s 'A Christmas Carol' is a beloved holiday tradition for many in our community, and the story reminds us about the importance of generosity,” said Devon President and CEO Rick Muncrief in a statement. “It’s an honor to help spread that message and support our arts community.”

LYRIC THEATRE'S 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'

When: Nov. 16-Dec. 23.

Where: Harn Homestead, 1721 N. Lincoln Blvd.

Tickets and information: www.LyricTheatreOKC.org.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What to know about OKC's Lyric Theatre's last outdoor 'Christmas Carol'