Servant Stage Presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL

From the classic novella to George C. Scott's iconic portrayal to the Muppets, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has been warming hearts and heralding the spirit of the Christmas season for generations. Now being brought to life by Servant Stage Company, this holiday classic will be touring across Lancaster County for nearly 40 performances at local theatres, churches, retirement homes, and schools. Set in 19th-century London, A Christmas Carol tells the story of the joyless, penny-pinching miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who experiences a change of heart after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

"It's a timeless story for the whole family," says Servant Stage Artistic Director, Wally Calderon. "Even a hundred and fifty years after its writing, the heart of the story is still so compelling and a great reminder of the spirit of the season." The show is music directed by Johnathan Bauer and underscored by tasteful pairings of harp, cello, guitar, and penny whistle, played live at select performances by Emily Aziza and Tony Marini.

First produced by Servant Stage in 2015, this original adaptation is unique in that every word is taken from Dickens' text, bringing the holiday classic to life through the collaborative storytelling of eight performers, all playing multiple roles. Dickens' text is interspersed with portions of musical narration set to the tunes of classic Christmas carols with original lyrics by Jon Rider, also playing the part of Scrooge. "Finding the way to say exactly what you want to say in the perfect meter and rhyme has always been a passion of mine," says Rider. "And when it comes to finding a story worth telling, it doesn't get much better than this!"

All performances are offered as Pay-What-You-Will, as part of Servant Stage's mission to make Great Performances accessible to everyone in the community. The production is made possible by generous sponsorships from Garden Spot Village, Lancaster County Community Foundation, Millersville University, Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community, The Steinman Foundation, and WDAC Radio.

The show tours across Lancaster County November 17 - December 23, including performances at Lancaster Alliance Church (December 2) and The Ware Center (December 14-16 and 21-23). To reserve tickets or see the full list of performances and venues, you can visit www.ServantStageCompany.com or call 717-455-0255.

Servant Stage is a non-profit theater serving Lancaster County since 2011 and bringing exceptional entertainment to over 50,000 audience members each year.