FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

The Hanover Theatre’s A Christmas Carol: Sensory Friendly performance will create a stress-free and unique experience for all viewers. 

  David Costa Photography (2022) featuring John Little*, Channing Rion, Daniel Reardon*, Steve Gagliastro*, Tyler Bellmon*, Laura D. DeGaicomo*, Annie Kerins*, Tye Roberson*, Alexis Anu Thakkallapalli, Sahana Sankar 

Worcester, Mass. (November 10, 2023) - The classic holiday play, A Christmas Carol, sponsored by Assumption University, returns to The Hanover Theatre mainstage this December 16-23, 2023. On Sunday, December 17 at 1:00 pm, the cast of A Christmas Carol will present a sensory friendly performance modified for individuals who would benefit from a more relaxed environment.  

Sensory friendly performances are unique theatre experiences where those impacted by autism or other sensitivities can attend free of stress or self-consciousness. With guidance and training from Autism Alliance, The Hanover Theatre has completed the Autism Welcoming Initiative℠ and is pleased to be recognized as an Autism Welcoming Partner through the organization. In addition to Autism Alliance, the theatre has received guidance from Seven Hills Foundation, The Arc of Opportunity, Autism Resource Central, Autism Theatre Initiative, Autism Speaks and Theatre Development Fund. The most startling moments of the show will be softened. House lights will be kept on but dimmed for the entirety of the performances and sounds will be lower in volume and intensity. Select cast members will be introduced to the audience prior to performing. Accommodations of support will be provided, including a quiet area for individuals and families that need a break from the experience where staff and volunteers can assist patrons’ needs. Patrons will also receive a Sensory Friendly Guide to the show, available now.  

The highly anticipated annual production returns to The Hanover Theatre adapted by president and CEO Troy Siebels and featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. A Christmas Carol features timeless music, lavish costumes and spine-tingling special effects. New and returning cast members tell the tale based on the Charles Dickens novel of the curmudgeonly miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the Spirits of Christmases Past, Present and Yet To Come.  

Music Director Timothy Evans will lead a pre-show concert featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, the largest and most versatile theatre pipe organ in New England, which viewers will not want to miss.  

The show is refined and revised each year to feature more magic than ever before, with an array of spectacles from smoke and fog to spectacular flying stunts. 

Tickets for the sensory-friendly performance of A Christmas Carol are $16, $26 and $31 made possible by the sponsorship of UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Chan Medical School. For more information, please contact the box office at 877.571.7469 or visit TheHanoverTheatre.org. 

Groups of 10 or more: book your group early and save money! 

*Denotes members of Actors’ Equity Association. 

About The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts 

Since opening in 2008, The Hanover Theatre has entertained more than two million guests with Broadway musicals, comedy headliners, music, dance and more. POLLSTAR consistently ranks The Hanover Theatre as one of the top theatres in the world. The award-winning historic theatre continues to establish its place as a world-class center for the performing arts, a venue for local cultural and civic organizations and a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Worcester. The Hanover Theatre’s facilities at 551 Main Street house function spaces, offices and The Hanover Theatre Conservatory. 

Worcester Center for Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.  All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.