Winner of five Tony Awards, and the most awarded play of the season, this New York Times Critics’ Pick welcomes theatregoers of all ages into an immersive experience that is brimming with Christmas spirit. Featuring dazzling staging, moving storytelling, and 12 cherished Christmas carols, including “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night,” and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” it is “so infectious you’ll leave the theatre with a heart full of joy and light” – Entertainment Weekly.
“YOU WILL LEAVE THE THEATER WITH A HEART FULL OF JOY AND LIGHT!” – Entertainment Weekly
“VIBRANT, COMPASSIONATE AND TIMELY.” – Deadline
On a cold and frosty Christmas Eve night, a bitter and hard-hearted miser sits alone in his chair. Charles Dickens created an unforgettable character in Ebenezer Scrooge, so much so that his name has come to have a meaning all its own, a cold-hearted miser who cares more for his cash than compassion. Be transported to worlds past, present and future, and re-live the torment and suffering of old Ebenezer Scrooge. Staring Bradley Whitford as Ebenezer Scrooge, you will witness what a lifetime of fear and selfishness has led to and see with fresh eyes the lonely life he has built for himself. Can Ebenezer be saved? Can the world be a caring and bright place, where he can make a positive difference, or is it already too late?
An enchanting spectacle designed to enrapture all ages with a sense of childlike wonder and delight. – The Hollywood Reporter
While retaining the jolliness and sentimentality associated with A Christmas Carol, Thorne and Warchus have polished the story’s social conscience to a restored brightness. – The New York Times
A Christmas Carol is written by visionary Tony Award winners, the playwright Jack Thorne from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and director Matthew Warchus from Matilda, it is based on the 1843 novella of the same name by Charles Dickens and is one of very many adaptations of the story into a musical.
This adaptation of A Christmas Carol is known colloquially as the Old Vic Production as it first premiered at the Old Vic in London in 2017, directed by Artistic Director Matthew Warchus and designed by Rob Howell, with music composed and orchestrated by Chris Nightingale, music direction by Remy Kurs, music supervision by Paul Staroba, music coordination by Howard Joines, casting by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger, and movement by Lizzi Gee.
The Old Vic production first opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in 2019, however the set was adapted into a traditional proscenium arch setting instead of the round with seating onstage and a walkway going through the center of the stalls. This new Broadway production won 5 Tony Awards for Best Original Score (Christopher Nightingale), Best Scenic Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Costume Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Lighting Design of a Play (Hugh Vanstone), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Simon Baker) and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Adaptation.
Jack Thorne’s faithful adaptation mines the emotional cruelty that Scrooge was subjected to at the hands of his spiteful and violent father, leading to his current ruthlessness and meanness. A scene where Mangan recalls the hopeful young man he was and laments his current character is particularly touching. There is also a distinct giddiness to his behavior in the second half, which is joyful to watch. There is a warmth and joy in this production that returns every year. You would have to have a heart of stone not to leave feeling uplifted and moved. – Aliya Al-Hassan for Broadway World