THE SIGNATURE PLAY OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON *THE GOSPEL OF JOHN* OPENS DECEMBER 8 AT THE SHEEN CENTER

November 26, 2019

by Joseph Zwilling and Mercedes Anderson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 25, 2019

NEW YORK’S SIGNATURE PLAY OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN OPENS DECEMBER 8 AT THE SHEEN CENTER FOR THOUGHT & CULTURE
*PREVIEWS BEGIN NOVEMBER 30

The GOSPEL OF JOHN is the theatrical centerpiece of NEW YORK’S CHRISTMAS SEASON, featuring a towering performance by award-winning Broadway actor KEN JENNINGS (Sweeney Todd, Grand Hotel, Side Show) in a production that weds prayer and theater in a profoundly intimate retelling of the life of Christ at THE SHEEN CENTER FOR THOUGHT & CULTURE. True to the scriptural text and masterfully performed in a slightly abbreviated format, Ken Jennings brings THE GOSPEL OF JOHN to life through the deeply personal gaze of the Beloved Disciple.

This one-man performance of the Gospel of John is a breathtaking account of the life of Jesus, taken from what is widely regarded to be the most poetic and theologically transcendent of the four Gospels, as beautiful in verse as it is profound in wisdom. Audiences from all walks of life will be moved by this singular encounter with the “Living Word” expressed in this 90-minute theatrical piece in THE SHEEN CENTER’S BLACK BOX THEATER.

For 26 performances, beginning November 30 and concluding on December 29, Ken Jennings will present the Gospel as many first-century audiences may have originally experienced it. Whether you’re looking for this season’s holiday play, an Advent reflection, or a family Christmas event in New York, you won’t want to miss this virtuosic and heartfelt retelling of the greatest story ever told. The play opens officially on December 8 at 3PM.

Members of the p ress interested in covering the play or scheduling interviews with Ken Jennings are asked to kindly contact Mercedes Anderson at Mercedes.Anderson@archny.org .

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN is directed by JOHN PIETROWSKI, one of the founding members of Writers Theatre of New Jersey in 1986, and the Artistic Director from 1991-2019, where he directed over 30 premiere productions. The play also features scenic design by Charlie Corcoran (The O’Casey Trilogy and The Emperor Jones at the Irish Rep), lighting design by Abigail Hoke-Brady (MukhAgni at Ars Nova), costume design by Tracy Christensen (Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard, All Our Children at The Sheen Center), and sound design by M. Florian Staab (Dublin Carol at the Irish Rep, The Dead, 1904).

Ken Jennings is best known to Broadway audiences for creating the role of Tobias Ragg in the Broadway premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Jennings received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for this role. He created several other roles on Broadway, including Georg Strunk in Grand Hotel: The Musical, The Boss in Side Show, and memorably played Finian in Finian’s Rainbow at the Irish Rep.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN plays a limited four-week engagement, starting Saturday, November 30 and playing through December 29 in The Sheen Center’s Black Box Theater.

Performances for THE GOSPEL OF JOHN are scheduled as follows November 30 through December 29:

Thursdays and Fridays, there will be evening performances at 7PM.

Saturday, December 7, there will be an evening performance at 7PM.

Tuesdays, December 3 and 10 there will be 11AM matinees.

Thursdays, December 5 and 12 there will be 11AM matinees.

Saturdays, November 30, December 14, 21 and 28 there will be 2PM matinees.

Wednesdays, December 4, 11 and 18; and Tuesday, December 24, there will be 2PM matinees

Sundays, December 1, 15, 22 and 29, there will be and 3PM matinee performances.

There is no evening performance on Saturday, November 30.

Preview tickets (through December 7) are $50 and $65 VIP reserved seating. After opening, all evening performances are $60 and $75 VIP reserved seating; and all regular matinees are $50 and $65 VIP reserved seating. ( Seating is general admission. VIP reserved seating is in the first two rows.) Student rush tickets will be available an hour before any performance for $25 with a valid student ID. $30 under 30 available in person at the box office. For groups of 10 or more, please contact GreatWhiteWay.com at 212-757-9117.

THE SHEEN CENTER FOR THOUGHT & CULTURE ( www.sheencenter.org) is a New York City arts center located in NoHo that presents a vibrant mix of theater, film, music, art and talk events. A project of the Archdiocese of New York, The Sheen Center serves all New Yorkers by presenting performances and artists that reflect the true, the good, and the beautiful. Named for the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best remembered as an inspirational author, radio host and two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality, The Sheen Center reflects his modern-day approach to contemporary topics. The Sheen Center is a state-of-the-art theater complex that includes the 270-seat off-Broadway Loreto Theater, equipped with five-camera high-definition TV and live-stream capability and a multi-track recording studio; the 80-seat off-off-Broadway Black Box Theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery.

Ken Jennings was recently featured on THE CARDINAL’S SHOW with Cardinal Dolan: