Lincoln Square Actor Changes Tune for Children's Play

Children scream and applaud when Amy Roeder and her crew step on stage. But it’s not for Justin Bieber or One Direction. It’s for a group of actors performing, “A Christmas Carol.”

Roeder, a Lincoln Square resident, plays Mrs. Fezzi in the play at the Drury Lane Theater this month.

“I just had to audition,” she said. “I feel like an actor’s not really an actor until they’ve done a version of ‘A Christmas Carol.’”

The children’s play is a departure from her usual, more adult-themed work with The Second City. Roeder started at the comedy club and has traveled to Cincinnati and Denver with shows. 

Even with the transition, the musical has comedic moments of its own. The play has a question and answer period for children at the end, which Roeder said produces some interesting analysis. 

“One kid raised his hand and asked what happened with the hobo and the chicken,” she said. “I didn’t know if he was watching the same show as everyone else.” 

Roeder said they finally figured it out as the scene when Scrooge asks a young boy to buy a turkey for Tiny Tim.

“It’s fantastic to perform in front of children,” she said. “There’s so much magic in the show.” 

It’s also the first time her niece and nephew—young children—were able to see her perform. 

Roeder began her career in show business in the third grade and continued into high school. She lived in Chicago between attending the University of Evansville and getting her master's at the University of Georgia. 

“I lived in this random part of town that wasn’t Uptown or Lakeview, I didn’t have a grocery store and always went to Lincoln Square,” Roeder said. “So when we came back, I had to live here.” 

And while she’s been enjoying her time at the Drury Lane Theater, Roeder hopes 2013 will take her acting closer to her Lincoln Square home.

“A Christmas Carol” runs until Dec. 22 at the theater. Some performances include family brunch and dinner buffet. Ticket information can be found here.