Connecticut’s Favorite Twisted Holiday Tradition Returns

Christmas on the Rocks at TheaterWorks Hartford November 29 through December 22, 2024 (not part of the subscription season)

Press is welcome Wednesday, December 4 2024!

Connecticut’s favorite twisted holiday tradition returns to TheaterWorks Hartford for its 12th season on the naughty list. Conceived and directed by Producing Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero, CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS features works from six playwrights each adding their own spin to the canon of holiday traditions past. This year’s 12th anniversary production stars Harry Bouvy, Jen Cody, and Richard Kline as “The Bartender,” and features new and exciting surprises for 2024!

When talking about the 12 anniversary production, Producing Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero said "I grew up watching Three’s Company, so it’s especially great to have Richard back 'behind the bar' this year! His work on the series, as well as in many sitcoms that defined my childhood, shows he has the craft and sense of humor to bring something exciting to the role. Also thrilled to have Jen and Harry back for another year makes the process so much fun. We have a few new surprises and updates in store this year!"

Christmas on the Rocks is an offbeat collection of twisted holiday tales by Judy Gold, Jenn Harris, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jacques Lamarre, Edwin Sánchez, and Matthew Wilkas. It’s Christmas Eve in a rundown local bar. Expecting a silent night, the bartender finds himself mixing drinks for a parade of surprising guests - characters from your favorite Christmas specials and movies - now all grown up. Join them this holiday season as they pour out their Christmas woes in this delightful parody.

CHRISTMAS on the ROCKS runs November 29 through December 22, 2024. Press is welcome starting Wednesday, December 4 2024.

CAST
HARRY BOUVY (The Man)
JEN CODY (The Woman)
RICHARD KLINE (The Bartender)

ARTISTIC & DESIGN
Director ROB RUGGIERO
Set Design MICHAEL SCHWEIKARDT
Costume Design ALEJO VIETTI
Lighting Design JOHN LASITER
Sound Design MICHAEL MICELI

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

HARRY BOUVY (The Man) returns for his fifth season of Christmas on the Rocks. He also starred in Snakebit, Fully Committed, and Chesapeake here at TheaterWorks. Harry hails from Pittsburgh, and is a NYC-based actor and director. Harry appeared on Broadway as a swing in the Tony Award-winning revival of Parade. Off-Broadway credits include Dr. Chilton in Silence! The Musical (original cast recording), and The Common Man in A Man for All Seasons. On tour, he played Dr. Dillamond in Wicked, Carmen Ghia in The Producers, and Sir Robin in the Vegas production of Spamalot. Favorite roles include Victor Velasco in Barefoot in the Park, Herbie in Gypsy, The D’Ysquith Family in Gentleman’s Guide, Higgins in My Fair Lady, and Vanya in Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. Other regional theatre credits include Yale Rep, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pittsburgh Public, City Theatre Pittsburgh, Utah Shakespeare, Arrow Rock Lyceum, Bucks County Playhouse, Mason Street Warehouse, Syracuse Stage, Asolo Theatre Company, and Great Lakes Theater. Television credits include Chicago PD, American Horror Story, Blacklist, Blue Bloods, New Amsterdam, Billions, Tommy, The Good Wife, Law & Order, and Sex & The City. @harrybouvy harrybouvy.com.

JEN CODY (The Woman) is back for year four in Christmas on the Rocks. Jen made her Broadway debut as Rumpleteaser in Cats and has starred in many Broadway shows including: A Christmas Story (Mrs. Schwartz), Shrek (original company), The Pajama Game (Poopsie, original revival company), Taboo (original company), Urinetown the Musical (original company), Seussical the Musical (original company), Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl), and Grease (Cha Cha). She can be heard on the original cast recordings of Seussical the Musical, Taboo with Boy George, The Pajama Game with Harry Connick Jr., Shrek the Musical, The Wild Party and Vincent Youman’s Through the Years. She has been awarded the Legacy Robe twice for her work on Broadway. Off-Broadway: Charles Bush’s Cleopatra (Iris), Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party (Mae), Charles Bush’s Judith of Bethulia, and Henry and Mudge (Drama League Nomination). Her voice can be heard on many cartoons including her award winning role as Charlotte La Bouff in Disney’s The Princess and The Frog in which she received the Annie Award (Voice over Oscar) for Outstanding Voice Work in a Major Motion Picture. Other cartoons include: American Dad (Cartoon Network), Mickey and the Roadster Racers (Disney), Phineus and Ferb (Disney), P. King Duckling, Winx Club (Nickelodeon), Robot and Monster (Nickelodeon) and Khumba (Triggerfish). Her Film and TV work includes: New Amsterdam (NBC), Paper Spiders (Cranium Entertainment), Lucky Stiff (New Oz Productions), The Good Fight (CBS), Younger (TV Land), Instinct (CBS), Bull (CBS), Blue Bloods (CBS), Shrek Live (Dreamworks) Unforgettable (CBS), and Law and Order. Jen-Cody.com.

RICHARD KLINE (“The Bartender”) grew up in New York City where he attended Queens College. He holds a Masters in Theatre from Northwestern University. He is known to millions of TV watchers as ‘Larry’ on the classic sitcom Three’s Company. Broadway credits include City of Angels, November and most recently, Waitress, following a national tour. He was The Wizard in the National Company of Wicked. At the Papermill Playhouse he played opposite Harry Connick Jr. in The Sting. He counts the role of King Arthur in Spamalot at UCONN as one of his favorites. Other Connecticut appearances include Westport Country Playhouse and Goodspeed Musicals. After serving as a lieutenant in Vietnam, Richard made his professional debut at the prestigious Lincoln Center Repertory Company in 1971. Regional theater credits include Other Desert Cities, Death of A Salesman, Chemin de Fer, Native Son, Henry V (title role) and Love’s Labor’s Lost. An accomplished singer, Richard has appeared in the musicals They’re Playing Our Song, Do I Hear A Waltz?, The Rothschilds, Hello Again, and Titanic. In the American premiere of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s By Jeeves, he played Jeeves both at the Goodspeed Musicals and The Kennedy Center. His many television credits include The Resident, Bluebloods, The Americans, Gilmore Girls, Judging Amy, That 70’s Show, NYPD Blue, Dream On, LA Law, Mary Tyler Moore, Maude, and The Love Boat. Richard is a working actor and has been teaching acting since 1998 both in Los Angeles and NYC.

THE SEASON CONTINUES

TWH’s 24/25 season continues with KING JAMES from Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph. King James begins January 30 through March 2 2025. It’s 2004. LeBron James is just the hero Cleveland needed. Two strangers eat, sleep, and dream in the language of basketball while forging a deep bond over their worship of the “King” - one of the greatest NBA players of all time. This wonderfully funny and remarkably moving new play explores the power of friendship and brotherhood in modern fandom.

PRIMARY TRUST is a touching and inventive story about new beginnings, old friends, and seeing the world for the first time. Meet Kenneth, a 38-year old bookstore worker who spends his evenings sipping mai tais at the local tiki bar. When he’s suddenly laid off, Kenneth finally begins to face a world he’s long avoided - with transformative and even comical results. The 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner by Eboni Booth is a touching and inventive tale of lost dreams, new beginnings, and old friends that “restores your faith in theater’s storytelling powers,” (NY Observer). PRIMARY TRUST will run April 10 - May 11, 2025.

The season will close with YOUR NAME MEANS DREAM which runs June 3 - July 6 2025. We’re in the not-too-distant future. Aislin is old, and isolated, in her messy New York City walk-up. She pines for a simpler, analog past, when her son sends a sensational new caretaker who is not quite human...but she's getting there. The newest work from Academy Award-nominee José Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries, A Hundred Years of Solitude on Netflix) is an intimate look at humanity in the digital age.

ABOUT THEATERWORKS HARTFORD

Celebrating its 39th season, TheaterWorks Hartford (TWH) produces high quality, contemporary theater and is committed to the power of storytelling in creating community. Founded in 1985, TWH has produced nearly 200 plays and presents approximately 150 performances per season. TWH also owns and manages the historic property at 233 Pearl Street, known as City Arts on Pearl. For updates on TheaterWorks Hartford, visit twhartford.org. Follow on Instagram, Facebook, or Youtube