9 Things You Didn’t Know about Striking 12 (probably)

1. The actors are playing their own instruments!
   All five cast members will be playing instruments (some of them play multiple!) in addition to singing their songs and acting their parts (some of them play multiple roles, too!).
2. This musical was written by a rock band (with a little help)
   GrooveLily is an American band that was formed in the late 1990’s in NYC. The band consists of Valerie Vigoda, Brendan Milburn, and Gene Lewin, who subsequently wrote and starred in the off-Broadway production of Striking 12! Their last off-Broadway hit was called Ernest Shackleton Loves Me which you can stream on BroadwayHD!
3. A Tony Award winner helped write the musical
   Rachel Sheinkin is a lyricist and book writer for Striking 12, but mainstream audiences will be more familiar with her Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning smash hit musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
4. Striking 12 is Inspired, in part, by The Little Match Girl
   The short story Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne (aka The Little Match Girl) was written in 1845 by Danish poet and author, Hans Christian Andersen. Don’t know the story? Listen to Ewan McGregor read it to you. ►Listen here◄
5. Parade artists are coming back together
   Director Kari Hayter and star Allen Everman are reuniting at the Chance for the first time since our production of Parade, which received multiple Ovation Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Director (Hayter), and Best Lead Actor (Everman). They are joined by other returning artists — Jacklyn Uweh (Hairspray), Jennifer Richardson (Fun Home), Laura Leo Kelly (West Side Story), and Lex Leigh (Music Director, Fun Home).
6. Hans Christian Andersen = the Taylor Swift of the 1800’s
   Did you see The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman? Remember Jenny Lind, the Swedish opera singer that P.T. Barnum obsesses over? Well, she was a real person who lived from 1820-1887 and was called the “Swedish Nightingale.” That nickname came from… ♪♪ drum roll please ♪♪ … The Nightingale, written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1843. The tale is believed to have been inspired by the author’s unrequited love for Jenny. When she said, “Ummmmmm… thanks, buuuut ….. no?” it’s rumored that Andersen based The Snow Queen on her. That’s cold ….. get it?!
   ► Watch the character, Jenny Lind singing “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman”
7. Hans Christian Andersen vacationed with Charles Dickens
   HC Andersen met his literary hero, Charles Dickens in 1847, and he was invited to stay with Dickens’ family for two weeks… and things got weird real quick. Hans insisted that the Dickens’ firstborn son shave him (sounds normal), threw huge tantrums on the front lawn, and overstayed his welcome by, like, 3 weeks. When HC finally left Dickens’ home, Charles basically ghosted him for the rest of their lives. You know what they say – never meet your heroes (and then act like a complete jerk for five weeks), folks.
8. A mission against “S.A.D.”
   Striking 12 takes place on New Year’s Eve, where an over-worked and under-inspired guy has had enough with holiday cheer. A young woman knocks on his door, selling special “full-spectrum holiday light bulbs” to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D., which is a real condition, and the inspiration for the term – the “winter blues”). Thank goodness we in California have sunshine all year round, baby.
9. The Little Match Girl is EVERYWHERE
   The enduring legacy of The Little Match Girl cannot be overstated. The story has been adapted countless times, including animated films (Disney received an Oscar nomination), live-action films, virtual reality experiences, television musicals, and … another drumroll, please… amusement park attractions! That’s right! The next time you’re in the Netherlands, stop by the Efteling amusement park for the three-dimensional attraction showing the story of The Little Match Girl.

Now that you know more about Striking 12, the writers, and the strange writer that wrote the story that the story of Striking 12 is based on…

GET YOUR TICKETS and see how it all comes together!