Fans of all ages will enjoy Christmastime with the Peanuts Gang: Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, Sally, Pig Pen, and more! Discover the true reason for the season at a performance of A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.

And now, meet the cast bringing you memories all throughout the holidays.

 

SARAH FAYE BEARD**
(Sally)
Sarah Faye Beard is thrilled to be reprising her role of Sally Brown at DCT in A Charlie Brown Christmas for the second year in a row! National Tour: Pinkalicious The Musical (Pinkalicious) at Vital Theatre Company. Favorite Regional Credits: Mamma Mia! (Ali) with Ogunquit Playhouse & Gateway Playhouse, Heathers The Musical (Young Republicanette) with TUTS, A Christmas Carol (Ghost, Belle u/s) with ZACH Theatre, Legally Blonde The Musical (Elle Woods) with Baylor Theatre, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Mersister, Ariel u/s) with La Comedia. All the thanks in the world to my parents, siblings, BB, & Jesus. Follow me: @sayfaybeard.

 

RACHEL CLO**
(Violet)
Rachel Clo is thrilled to reprise her role of Violet this Christmas! Other DCT credits include Miracle on 34th Street (2014/2015), James and the Giant Peach, and most recently, Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium (Anna). She has also worked with L.I.P. Service, MainStage Irving-Las Colinas, and Plano Children’s Theatre. When she isn’t acting, Rachel teaches at Rockwall Dance Academy.

 

CHRISTOPHER CURTIS*
(Charlie Brown)
Christopher is very happy to return to Dallas Children’s Theater this year to reprise the role of Charlie Brown! DCT audiences might also remember him in Seussical™ (Horton the Elephant) or from A Year With Frog and Toad (Frog). Other recent work in the DFW area includes roles in La Cage Aux Folles, Titanic, End of the Rainbow, and Catch Me If You Can all at Uptown Players; as well as numerous other productions at Shakespeare Dallas, Circle Theatre, Theatre Three, Pegasus Theatre, and Lyric Stage.

 

PETER DiCESARE
(Shermy)
Peter is grateful to be making his debut at DCT and to be working with such a wonderful creative team. Credits include: Anything Goes (Steward) at Lyric Stage, Merton of the Movies (Merton) at MainStreet Musicals, Facing East (Andrew) in the Dallas Premier & London Concerts, A Flea In Her Ear (Camille) and How to Succeed… (Bud Frump) at MainStage Irving-Las Colinas, Urinetown (Mr. McQueen) at Theatre Arlington, She Loves Me (The Waiter) at Stage West, Hello Again (Young Thing) and The Producers (Carmen Ghia) at Uptown Players. Peter is a proud graduate of Texas Christian University.

 

PARKER FITZGERALD
(Linus)
Noted roles include Seussical™ (Wickersham brother) at Dallas Children’s Theater, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Kev) at Theatre Three, Big River (Huck Finn) at Theatre Arlington, Waiting for Lefty (Sid) with Upstart Productions, Beautiful Thing (STE) with Uptown Players, Miss Evers Boys (Dr. Douglas) with African American Repertory Theatre, Two Rooms (Walker) at Runway Theatre, and Cabaret (the Emcee) at Texas Wesleyan University. He has toured twice with Casa Mañana’s Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells Batman Smells, and twice with Wishing Star Production’s Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer: The Musical. He is a member of the Board of Directors at Theatre Arlington and a company member of Upstart Productions.

 

STEPH GARRETT*
(Snoopy)
Steph is thrilled to reprise her role as Snoopy this holiday season! Other DCT credits include: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane; Seussical™; The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts), Charlotte’s Web; Go, Dog. Go!; A Wrinkle in Time; Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat; and Goodnight Moon. Additional credits include: Pride and Prejudice at WaterTower Theatre, Avenue Q at CityRep OKC, Faust at The Drama Club, The Great Dictator at the FIT Fest, and Waiting for Lefty and Year of the Rooster at Upstart Productions. For upcoming projects and more information visit: www.StephGarrett.com.

 

JORI JACKSON**
(Frieda)
Jori is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana and a graduate of Northwestern State University of LA with a BS in Musical Theatre and Performance & Directing. She is thrilled to return to DCT for her third Christmas! Her most recent stage work with DCT has been Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium (Cami), James and the Giant Peach (Miss Spider), and Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook (That Grace). Her other DCT performance credits include: Miracle on 34th Street (Finley), Fancy Nancy: The Musical (Bree), and Jackie & Me (Rachel). Additional performance credits include: The Soul Rep Theatre’s New Play Festival: Southside Stories, Kitchen Dog Theater’s 3rd and 4th annual One Minute Play Festival and 2016 New Works Play Festival, Memphis (dance ensemble) at Theatre Three, Where Earth Meets The Sky (Born at Dawn) at Cara Mía Theatre Co., and Aida (dance ensemble) at Uptown Players. Much love to my family and friends. Xoxo.

 

JOHNNY LEE*
(Schroeder)
Johnny is glad to be back for his ninth show with DCT! He is an actor – singer – composer and has performed all over the USA, Canada and Europe, but happily calls Dallas, Texas his home. Recent credits include NATIONAL TOUR: The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley (Stanley). REGIONAL: (TX) The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Edward/The Musician) at Dallas Children’s Theater, The Human Comedy (Homer Macaulay) and Titanic (Frederick Fleet) at Lyric Stage, The Cotton Patch Gospel (Rock) at Theatre Three, and Big River (ensemble) at (OK) Lyric Theater. To keep up with and see more of Johnny’s work, visit his website (www.johnnylee.me). Proud member of Actors’ Equity. Instagram: @johnnyleeisme.

 

CADDO LINDSEY
(Pig Pen)
Caddo is thrilled to be making his debut with Dallas Children’s Theater. He recently debuted with Shakespeare Dallas in their production of The Merry Wives of Windsor (Rugby). Caddo is a graduate of the University of North Texas where he earned his BA in Theatre Performance.

 

 

BRETT WARNER*
(Lucy)
Brett most recently appeared at DCT in Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook, A Charlie Brown Christmas (2016; Lucy), and Seussical™ (Mayzie LaBird). Other regional appearances include Seussical Jr., The Three Little Pigs, Frosty the Snowman, and Pinkalicious at Casa Mañana; The Nance, The Boy From Oz, and Soho Cinders at Uptown Players; Fix Me, Jesus and Hot Mikado at Theatre Three; The Human Comedy at Lyric Stage; Fellowship! at Circle Theatre; and The Rivals at Stage West. Brett and her three Snoopy wannabes live in Fort Worth.

 

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS runs now through Dec. 23. Tickets on sale at dct.org.

 

Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District is the Title Sponsor for A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS is presented by arrangement with Tams Witmark Music Library, Inc. 560 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022. Artwork Peanuts(c) 2015 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Photos courtesy of the actors.

*INDICATES A MEMBER OF ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION – THE UNION OF PROFESSIONAL ACTORS AND STAGE MANAGERS IN THE USA

**INDICATES EQUITY MEMBERSHIP CANDIDATE

Kathy Burks’ celebrated troupe melts hearts with FROSTY & FRIENDS. In this endearing tale, a lonely frozen figure named Frosty hopes to make a difference during the season of giving. While searching for his own ways to help Santa, Frosty meets a kind snowy owl and a friendly reindeer who are happy to spend their cold winter days with his gentle soul.

Now, meet the puppeteers and voice actors behind the magic!

 

KATHY BURKS
(Voice Characterization)
Kathy is a native Dallasite who has been involved continuously in the Metroplex arts scene as a musician, actress and theatrical producer. In 1976, she established the Haymarket Theatre in Olla Podrida, where she produced numerous plays and puppet presentations through 1982. She first brought her acclaimed production of The Nutcracker to DCT in 1996 and followed that the next season with Not a Creature Was Stirring. Later, she added Hoot Owl Hootenanny, The Frog Prince, Rumpelstiltskin, Winnie the Pooh, Carnival of the Animals, and The House at Pooh Corner to her DCT repertoire. Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts, founded in 1973, continues to be a dynamic and beloved force in the artistic community of the Metroplex, and a valued member of the DCT Family. You may also remember Kathy Burks World of Puppets, which produced shows at Six Flags Over Texas.

 

DOUGLASS BURKS
(Puppeteer / Voice Characterization)
A veteran of Dallas area theater, Mr. Burks has worked with Dallas Children’s Theater for many years as an actor, stage manager, sound designer, and director. He is a founding member of the nationally acclaimed Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts (KBTPA) and has earned the distinction of Master Puppeteer. His directing credits for KBTPA are numerous and include Carnival of the Animals, The House at Pooh Corner, Hansel and Gretel, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Snow Queen, Frosty & Friends, and Hoot Owl Hootenanny. Other directing credits include The Hound of the Baskervilles for Eastfield College and DCT’s national tour of Young King Arthur. A popular actor with DCT audiences, Doug will be remembered for his many appearances on the DCT stage, which include The Giver (The Giver), Goodnight Moon (Larry the Tooth Fairy),James and the Giant Peach (Old Grasshopper), Peter Pan (Captain Hook), Young King Arthur (Merlin), The Emperor’s New Clothes (the Emperor), The Mummy’s Claw (Sir Nevil Blore), Jungalbook (Baloo), Holes (Mr. Sir), and Treasure Island (Long John Silver). He also portrayed the title characters in Frankenstein, The Reluctant Dragon, and The Canterville Ghost. In the 2015-2016 season, he directed DCT’s National Touring Production of The BFG (Big Friendly Giant). 

 

SALLY FIORELLO
(Puppeteer / Voice Characterization)
Sally joined the artistic staff of Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts in 1973. Since then, she has earned the distinction of Master Puppeteer and serves as the company’s technical director and senior production designer. Her credits as a puppeteer, character voice and designer are numerous and include The Nutcracker, Not a Creature was Stirring, The Frog Prince, Carnival of the Animals, Hansel and Gretel, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Snow Queen, Young King Arthur, Beauty and the Beast, and Frosty & Friends. Sally has also appeared in other DCT productions including The Miracle Worker (Aunt Ev); Bless Cricket, Crest Toothpaste & Tommy Tune (Gran); The Velveteen Rabbit (Mistress, the Monkey); The Neverending Story (Urgl); and hard 2 spel dad (Mrs. Donahue). Her other professional credits include production designs for numerous local theater companies and lighting for the off Broadway touring production of Patio/Porch. When not onstage, she proudly serves as Producing Director of National Tours for DCT. Ms. Fiorello is a recipient of the Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum Award.

 

BECKY BURKS KEENAN  
(Puppeteer / Voice Characterization)
Becky is a founding member of the original troupe of Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts. At 10 years of age, she began to learn the skills of puppetry, and later earned the status of Master Puppeteer. A mother of four and now proud grandmother of one, she continues creating voice characterizations and performing as a puppeteer for numerous Kathy Burks productions seen at DCT. Among her many puppet roles, Becky has created voices in The Snow Queen(The Princess), The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Peter), Hansel and Gretel (the Ginger Witch), The House at Pooh Corner (Piglet), Young King Arthur (the Dragon), and Beauty and the Beast (Joy). She has also performed at Six Flags Over Texas with Kathy Burks World of Puppets in Sara Jane Armadillo Superstar and Santa’s Wonderland.

 

TRISH LONG
(Puppeteer)
In 1981 Trish joined the staff of Kathy Burks Marionettes and the Haymarket Theatre Company. She is a Master Puppeteer, an actor, and a designer. At DCT she has created voice characterizations in The Snow Queen (Kay), The Nutcracker (Fritz), The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Cotton-tail), and Beauty and the Beast (Hope). She has puppeteered productions of The Snow Queen, The Nutcracker, Not a Creature Was Stirring, The Frog Prince, Rumpelstiltskin, Hoot Owl Hootenanny, Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, Carnival of the Animals (2007), Santa’s Holiday for Strings, and Frosty & Friends. She has also appeared as an actress, sans puppets, in DCT’s Babe, the Sheep Pigand The Velveteen Rabbit. Trish is DCT’s Marketing Director.

 

SETH MAGILL*
(Voice Characterization)
Seth is pleased to be reprising his voice characterization of Frosty the Snowman. Other memorable roles at DCT include Pinkalicious, The Musical (Mr. Pinkerton); The Secret Garden(Archibald Craven); Treasure Island (Billy Bones/Israel Hands); and Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts’  Winnie the Pooh (Winnie). He was last seen on the local stage in Shakespeare Dallas’ production of She Stoops To Conquer (Marlow), and he most recently performed as Chase Spacegrove in an On The Eve staged reading at Joe’s Pub, NYC. His other local productions included roles with Dallas Theater Center, Kitchen Dog Theater, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Seth is a co-writer of the new musical On The Eve, which is working towards its first New York production, in cooperation with Theatre C and Tony nominated director Sam Buntrock.

 

ZIGGY RENNER
(Puppeteer)
This season marks Ziggy’s 12th year of puppeteering and working with Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts. Other productions include The Snow Queen, Young King Arthur, Beauty and the Beast, Carnival of the Animals, The House at Pooh Corner, The Nutcracker, The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Jack and the Beanstalk. He was also a featured puppeteer with Kathy Burks World of Puppets at Six Flags Over Texas. A Dallas native and veteran technician with Dallas Children’s Theater, Ziggy also lived for two years in St. Paul, MN where he worked with such prestigious organizations as the Guthrie Theater, Children’s Theatre Company, Stages Theatre Company, and Off-Leash Area. During the 2015-16 season, he traveled the country as the audio engineer and Assistant Technical Director for DCT’s national tour of The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), and he most recently served as the Technical Director for A.C.E.’s national tour of Girls Only, The Secret Comedy of Women. Ziggy has also worked extensively with Shakespeare Dallas, Lone Star Circus, and Dallas Theater Center.

 

JEFFREY STANFIELD
(Puppeteer)
Jeff is a puppeteer and performer who graduated with a BFA from Texas Christian University. You may have seen him under the open sky at Fort Worth’s Hip Pocket Theatre, appearing in such works as The Land of Oz, In Watermelon Sugar, The Lake Worth Monster, Don Quixote and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He is very pleased to return to Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts, where he previously performed in productions of Beauty and the Beast, Not a Creature was Stirring, Hansel and Gretel and The Tale of Peter Rabbit. At home both on stage and behind the scenes, Jeff is the Assistant Technical Director for Dallas Children’s Theater.

 

JĀD SAXTON
(Voice Characterization)
Jād thanks Kathy Burks for including her voice in this cool show! She was last seen at WaterTower Theatre in Parade (Mary Phagan). Other credits include Dallas Children’s Theater’s national tour of Stuart Little(Margalo), Trainspotting(Lizzie) for L.I.P Service, The Nether (Iris) for Stage West, Fiddler on the Roof (Chava) for Lyric Stage, and Hearts Like Fists (Nina) for Outcry Theatre. Jād is also an ADR Director for FUNimation Productions and voice actor who’s voice can be heard in the anime Wolf Children, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Michiko & Hatchin, Dimension W, Fairy Tail, and Space Dandy; and video games Smite, Paladins and Dragon Ball Xenoverse. She has 200-plus voice-over credits for FUNimation Productions, Sentai Filmworks, and Okratron 5000.

 

FROSTY AND FRIENDS runs now thru December 23. Tickets available at dct.org.