A Christmas Carol

Musical

Writers: Lynn Ahrens Alan Menken

Overview

Show Information

Music
Lyrics
Based on the Play/Book/Film
Charles Dickens' 1843 novella
Category
Musical
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1994
Genres
Drama, Comedy
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
London, Victorian England
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Musical Staging
Ideal for
Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes adult, mature adult, child, early teen, young adult, late teen characters

Synopsis

A Christmas Carol is the Broadway adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 festive novella. It tells the tale of the curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge. A prosperous businessman, he believes that personal wealth and heartless financial tactics are much more valuable than the friendship, happiness, and comfort of those around him. He treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, and his family with the same disdain and coldness that he shows everyone else. Scrooge’s miserable nature comes to a crescendo during the Christmas period--”Bah! Humbug!” However, this Christmas, he is forced to come face to face with his selfish ways when he is confronted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. In the course of one night, Scrooge is forced to recognize his faults and gains the chance to make amends. He greets the dawning Christmas morning with an unusually cheerful, “Happy Christmas” and finally reconnects with those that mean the most to him.

Lead Characters


A Christmas Carol guide sections