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UID:1751-1796238000-1796245200@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:A Christmas Carol
DESCRIPTION:All ESU members and Friends of ESU are invited to this holiday classic produced by KCRep. This production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a blend of classic storytelling with lively and energetic performances by an all-star cast. \n\n\n\nFor more than 40 years\, Kansas City’s beloved tradition has created holiday memories for families all around our community. KCRep is excited to announce the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge will be performed by Mark Robbins beginning this year. Mark has been the understudy for the role since 2021 and has performed various roles in the production since 1984. Mark is a good friend of ESU as he has been one of our three judges in our annual ESU Shakespeare Competition for many years. \n\n\n\nJoin Ebenezer Scrooge on his redemptive journey with Christmas past\, present\, and future\, and rediscover the true meaning of the holidays. You’ll meet the Cratchits\, Tiny Tim\, and the irresistible Fezziwigs\, and hear the haunting and joyous Candlelight Carol — all this and more\, to kindle your Christmas spirit.  \n\n\n\nWhen: Wednesday\, December 2\, 2026\, Curtain: 7:00 pm \n\n\n\nWhere: Spencer Theatre\, UMKC Campus\, 4949 Cherry St.\, Kansas City\, MO \n\n\n\nTickets: We have special ESU discounted group tickets at $39.20 and they are waiving the processing fee for us. Call the KCRep boxoffice at (816) 235-5771. Ask for Gabe Adams and tell him you are with the ESU Group to purchase ticket(s) to A Christmas Carol on December 2nd. Purchase with credit or debit card. Pick up your ticket(s) in lobby at the Will Call desk under name “ESU Group.” Our seats will be in blocks of 4\, 3\, 2\, or singles near the stage. Boxoffice hours: Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm. If no answer\, leave message and Gabe will return your call. \n\n\n\nParking: Free parking is available in the parking lot on the east side of Spencer Theatre. Additional free parking is available at the UMKC Cherry Street Parking Garage (5009 Oak St.) on the fifth floor which has a skywalk to Spencer Theatre or on level 6. \n\n\n\nGroup Photo: After the performance\, we will meet in the theatre lobby for a group photo.  \n\n\n\nQuestions? Call Jeff Schnabel (816) 878-1239 or email: jschnabelkc@gmail.com  \n\n\n\nDon’t miss this chance to get together with other ESU members and meet new members. We hope you will share the season with the people you love at A Christmas Carol. 
URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/a-christmas-carol-2/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261209T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261209T170000
DTSTAMP:20260825T155538Z
CREATED:20260825T155535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T155538Z
UID:1804-1796832000-1796835600@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hour: The Surprising History of Santa and Christmas Traditions in America
DESCRIPTION:Christmas in America has a much richer and stranger history than the cozy images we know today. This festive ESU Happy Hour explores why early New Englanders outlawed Christmas\, how rowdy wassailing gangs once filled the streets\, and how German\, Dutch\, and English traditions eventually blended into the modern Santa. We’ll trace the journey from medieval St. Nicholas and Alpine mischief-makers to Thomas Nast’s German-American illustrations\, the Civil War era’s sentimental reinvention of the holiday\, and the 20th-century rise of Rudolph\, department-store Santas\, Coca-Cola branding\, and iconic Christmas foods. With a pint in hand\, you’ll learn how a mix of immigrant customs\, reform movements\, and cultural trends brought today’s version of American Christmas into being. Join us as Erica Benson brings a story-packed journey tracing how America invented its own version of Santa and reshaped Christmas into the celebration we recognize today. The ESU Kansas City Branch sponsors this special ESU Happy Hour. The program is online\, free\, and open to ESU members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE About Erica Benson: \n\n\n\nErica Benson\, founder of Third Place Historian\, is a seasoned historian and educator with over a decade of experience teaching U.S. history at the college level. She holds multiple degrees in history\, including a master’s degree in North American history\, and brings a deep scholarly background to her work in both academic and public history. A recipient of the prestigious James Madison Congressional Fellowship\, Erica has participated in numerous elite history seminars and institutes\, continually advancing her expertise in American political and social history. Her commitment to historical education extends beyond the classrooms. She is a contributing writer for the National Women’s History Museum and an advocate for gender equality issues and the Equal Rights Amendment. Erica’s work is grounded in a passion for making history accessible\, engaging\, and relevant. Her lectures are known for combining rigorous scholarship with compelling storytelling\, offering fresh insights into the complexities of the American past. Cocktail: EggnogEggnog evolved from posset\, a warm medieval British drink made of milk\, ale\, and eggs. Aristocrats drank it with expensive sherry\, while colonists in America substituted cheap rum. By 1775\, the name “eggnog” appeared\, transforming into a popular holiday tradition and even sparking a famous 1826 military academy riot. Ingredients:4 egg yolks1/3 cup sugar\, plus 1 tablespoon1 pint whole milk1 cup heavy cream1 1/4 ounces bourbon1 1/4 ounces dark rum1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg4 egg whites Directions:-In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until the yolks lighten in color and the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the milk\, cream\, bourbon\, rum\, and nutmeg and stir to combine.-Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running\, gradually add one tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture. Yields six cups. Chill and serve.
URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/happy-hour-the-surprising-history-of-santa-and-christmas-traditions-in-america/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261217T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261217T190000
DTSTAMP:20260909T170049Z
CREATED:20260909T161452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260909T170049Z
UID:1819-1797530400-1797534000@www.esuus.org
SUMMARY:Think and Drink: Scrooge's Politics of Humbug
DESCRIPTION:Today\, we recognize A Christmas Carol as a morality tale about greed\, with Charles Dickens becoming “The Man Who Invented Christmas” by discovering the Christmas spirit. But\, in its 1843 context\, Dickens’s novella is a deeply political response to the horrors of the Industrial Revolution\, the exploitative rise of the British Empire\, and the political reaction to the New Poor Law of 1834.   \n\n\n\nDickens issued a Christian appeal to his middle-class readers\, drawing upon Dante for its famous Past\, Present\, Yet to Come structure.  And\, drawing upon Christmas’ roots as a winter solstice festival\, Dickens borrowed archetypes from Celtic folklore for the spirits of Scrooge’s epiphany. Our guest speaker\, Dr. Stephen Himes will explain how A Christmas Carol is not just one of the most popular stories in the English language\, he will put the story in its historical\, political\, economic\, and religious context.  \n\n\n\nThink & Drink lectures are free to attend and open to all ESU members and the public\, but registration is required. You will receive at least one reminder email about the event when you register. \n\n\n\nWhen: Thursday\, December 17\, 2026\, 6:00 pm \n\n\n\nLocation: Casual Animal Brewing\, 1721-1725 McGee Street Kansas City\, MO \n\n\n\nTickets: Free admission but RSVP is required. Click here and scroll down to December 17 to RSVP. \n\n\n\nParking: Street parking available but arrive early for best choices and for best non-reserved open seating. \n\n\n\nAbout Stephen Himes \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDr. Stephen Himes is a professional educator who specializes in innovative curriculum design that explores what’s possible in education\, with an intensive focus on student experience and skill development. He transitioned from classroom teaching into curriculum design and developed a unique interdisciplinary curriculum\, along with innovative\, collaborative teacher coaching. He is the founder of “Living Literature\,” a culmination of 25 years inside the high school classroom and courtroom designed to rethink the reading and teaching of literature. Stephen earned his J.D./Ed.D. with an emphasis on education law. \n\n\n\nAbout Think & Drink Lecture Series \n\n\n\nThink & Drink is an exciting new kind of event that combines educational topics with social gatherings. This one-hour lecture program was launched in July of 2025 by Casual Animal Brewing Company\, a microbrewery in the East Crossroads area\, south of downtown Kansas City. The lectures are held on the first and third Thursday of every month and bring together experts\, academics\, and curious minds for evening talks on topics that generate fresh perspectives\, ideas\, and discussion. No topic is off the table.
URL:https://www.esuus.org/kansascity/event/think-and-drink-scrooges-politics-of-humbug/
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