Scrooge! the Musical
Book, Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse (based on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”)
Directed by Mike Mazur
Music Director - Kaitlyn Bernard
Produced by North Texas Performing Arts Community Theatre, Plano, Texas
Audience rating: G
Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (15-minute intermission)
Accessible Seating: Yes
Hearing Devices: Captioning available at select performances
Sensory Friendly Showing: Not available
ASL Showing: At Select Performances
Sound Level: Comfortable
Noises or Visuals to Prepare for: flashing lights, spirits, suggestions of death and damnation
Reviewed by Stacey Simpson Calvert
Now in its 14th year, Scrooge! the Musical at North Texas Performing Arts Repertory Theatre (NTPA) is a beloved, annual holiday tradition in Plano. Based on Charles Dickens’ famous holiday tale “A Christmas Carol,” the musical takes us to 1843 London as bitter, miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge (Darrell Rodenbaugh) bah-humbugs his way through life in Cheapside. Visited by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is told that he must change his heart and his ways, lest he suffer the chains of damnation the way Marley has. As he is then visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future one by one in the middle of the night, Scrooge begins to see how misguided he has been and is able to turn over a new leaf and get a second chance to really live.
The large cast and crew of NTPA’s Scrooge! enthusiastically presented this classic story with a true community spirit, with over two-thirds of the cast members having appeared in the show multiple years, and about half the cast appearing onstage with one or more family members. It was clear they were having a wonderful time on opening night. Rodenbaugh portrays Scrooge as a hunched-over, growling meanie but still pulls out some humorous moments of physicality and amusing reactions to the other characters. Shelby Williams as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Ed Kless as Jacob Marley, Alejandro Erives as Mr. Fezziwig, and the talented Brenna Petersen as Tom Jenkins also gave particularly lively and engaging performances on opening night. And of course, the young children portraying young Ebeneezer and his sister, the Cratchit children, and various townspeople were adorable. There is a nice moment at the top of the show when the entire ensemble and most of the cast comes on stage, some spilling into the aisles of the house, and creates a line of light, passing a flame from one candle to the next until all are alight. It was a lovely symbol of the hope for a better future embodied by this story. The production is clearly a labor of love for all involved. Catch this long-running holiday musical through December 22. Scrooge performs December 11-15 at The Courtyard Theater and December 18-22 at the Rodenbaugh Theater located at Willow Bend Center of the Arts
On with the show!
Stacey Simpson Calvert
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