ALPENA — Thunder Bay Theatre patrons have a lot to look forward to, both this winter and into the 2020 season.

With the addition of “A Christmas Carol” to this winter’s schedule, and more children’s plays in 2020, TBT is ready to entertain all ages in the coming months.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows are at 2 p.m.

‘Macbeth’

Next in the 2019 season is “Macbeth,” running Nov. 1 to 17. In this William Shakespeare classic, “A brave Scottish general receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland,” the description from TBT’s website explains. “Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia.”

“Macbeth” is sponsored by Family Enterprise Inc.

‘Godspell’

Alpena High School Masquers Club, in association with Thunder Bay Theatre, presents “Godspell,” playing Nov. 29 to Dec. 15.

The musical was composed by Stephen Schwartz and based on the book by John-Michael Tebelak.

“They form a roving acting troupe that enacts the parables through song and dance, comedy, and mime,” the TBT website states. “Jesus’ ministry ends with a last supper, his crucifixion in a junkyard, and, the following morning, his body being carried aloft by his apostles back into the world of the living on the streets of New York.”

“Godspell” is sponsored by Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan.

‘A Christmas Carol’

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has been added for one weekend only, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22.

“Focusing on Dickens’ powerful language, humor and warmth, this charming version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ simply and directly tells the story of the redemption of a human soul,” the TBT website noted. “The play follows the ever-powerful story of Scrooge, a lonely miser, who, through the help of spirits and visions from his past, present and future, finds a second chance to become a loving, generous human being.”

2020 Season

“The 2020 season is going to include an additional youth play,” TBT Producing Artistic Director Jeffrey Mindock said earlier this month. “So we will now have a children’s play for kids ages 5 to 10, and another play for kids ages 11 to 16, which also means that the start of our professional season will actually be pushed back to after Easter. So all of our snowbirds will be back just in time to enjoy our first professional play of the year.”

AHS Masquers will kick off the 2020 season.

“We will start off the year with our non-musical Masquers play, which is still yet to be determined,” Mindock said.

“Then we are going to be doing ‘Pippi Longstocking’ with our young ones, and ‘Paul Bunyon’ with our middle-aged (11-16) students,” he added.

“And then we are doing the classic play, ‘Harvey,’ which was the movie with Jimmy Stewart, about Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary best friend, his big rabbit,” Mindock said. “So, that’ll be running right after Easter.”

“Our summer lineup is Disney’s ‘Tarzan,’ The Who’s ‘Tommy: In Concert,’ and then ‘Chicago,’ to round it out,” Mindock said. “So, it’s going to be a big summer season, still a little bit dark, but not as dark as this summer. Lots more dancing, and lots more excitement, and lots more notoriety, so we’re very, very excited about the core company that we’re going to need for that. For those three shows, there’s going to be a lot of talent onstage as there always is.”

Then the fall season will be upon us once again.

“Our fall season kicks off with Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire,’ so an entire evening of Johnny Cash music,” Mindock said.

And the 2020 autumn Shakespeare play will be “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“The theme for that Shakespeare is that when the characters go into the woods, they’re going to stumble upon a deer camp,” Mindock said. “So it’s going to be a very Northern Michigan ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream.'”

The AHS Masquers musical will be “Bye Bye Birdie,” he said.

“And then we’ll cap off the season with ‘A Christmas Carol,'” Mindock said of the now-annual holiday production.

“So lots of really wonderful titles that everybody should be familiar with,” Mindock said. “A lot of popular music with ‘Chicago,’ Johnny Cash, ‘Tarzan,’ a lot of folks should know that musical with the Phil Collins’ music.”

Adult tickets are $20 each, military tickets with ID are $16, teen tickets (13-17) are $12, and children 12 and younger are $8.

Call the box office at 989-354-2267, visit www.thunderbaytheatre.com, or search social media using #TBAYT. Thunder Bay Theatre is located at 400 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena.

Thunder Bay Theatre held a fundraiser and season reveal party on Sept. 27, called “Cue, Color: A Night of Impact.”

“We were so humbled by the support from our community,” Mindock said earlier this month. “We had a goal through our fundraising efforts that evening to raise $10,000, and our final total came in at … just over $11,000 with costs included. So we netted our goal, which is so humbling and amazing and overwhelming.”

He said executive level sponsor Edward Jones Financial Advisor Andrew Kowalski and producer level sponsor Wolverine State Credit Union largely made it possible to reach that goal.

He added that the Alpena County Youth and Recreation Committee has also made a huge difference for TBT’s youth productions and educational programs, contributing $17,000 last year and $26,000 this year.

“That’s all thanks to the youth and rec committee, so we are so thankful that they continue to find value, and increased value, in supporting what’s happening at Thunder Bay Theatre,” Mindock said.

Reach Lifestyles Editor Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691 or by email at lifestyles@thealpenanews.com.