For the last 16 years, Larry Yando has starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in the Goodman Theatre’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” staring out from the back of CTA buses and delighting downtown audiences with his signature mix of meanness and joy.
Come Sept. 10, the veteran Chicago actor will be down the street at the Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., appearing in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” as Severus Snape, the formidable professor at the Hogwarts School of Wizardry whose chilly exterior is born of deep-seated trauma (not unlike Scrooge).
Snape, also not unlike Scar in “The Lion King” (another of Yando’s long-lived roles), was played in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011 by the late British actor Alan Rickman.
When the cast of the “Harry Potter” national tour is announced Monday, it also is expected to feature the Chicago actor Matt Mueller as the adult version of Ron Weasley, as well as Northwestern University graduate Emmet Smith as Albus Potter, Harry Potter’s son in this theatrical sequel, penned by Jack Thorne from an original story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany, the show’s director. Smith was Rolf in the Marriott Theatre production of “The Sound of Music” in 2022. Longtime Chicago actor Nathan Hosner also is expected to be in the ensemble; Tiffany long has been known as an admirer of Chicago-based actors.
Coming more than six years after the original Broadway opening, the show’s long-awaited first U.S. touring production is the condensed one-show version, also seen on Broadway since 2021. The one-ticket production is a shortening of the original two-show production that debuted in 2016 and continues to play to packed houses in London.
No end to the tour has been announced, but with the Chicago production staying through Feb. 1, with subsequent engagements planned for Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, it’s likely to be a multi-year affair. Individual tickets to the Chicago run already are on sale (www.broadwayinchicago.com); its arrival is expected to boost Loop economic fortunes this fall.
The Goodman said it wished Yando well. “We’re delighted for Larry to have this fantastic new opportunity,” said artistic director Susan Booth. “And while one doesn’t replace a performance like his, we’re looking forward to announcing our 2024 Scrooge in the next few weeks.”
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
