Children's Theatre Offers Family Holiday Show

Children's Theatre of Charlotte celebrates the spirit of the season with two productions, both ideal for making family holiday memories. "Scrooge!," staged spectacularly in the McColl Family Theatre, is a musical version of Charles Dickens' holiday tale "A Christmas Carol." "The Littlest Angel," performed by the Tarradiddle Players in the Wachovia Playhouse, is a charming, gentle story about learning what it means to truly give. Both productions run from Dec. 3-23.

Scrooge!
Recommended for ages 7 and up, "Scrooge!" is a holiday treat for young and old alike. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge's "Bah! Humbug!" opinion of Christmas grates on everyone around him. But when he is visited by the ghost of his former partner and three Christmas spirits, he realizes that he needs to change his curmudgeonly ways - just in time for Christmas Day!

"Scrooge!" is the stage version of the beloved 1970 film of the same name starring Albert Finney. The production brings this timeless tale to life with unforgettable characters and an upbeat, Academy Award-nominated musical score composed by Leslie Bricusse.

The cast of professional actors includes Mark Sutton as Scrooge and Dennis Delamar as Marley, along with Susan Roberts Knowlson, James Dracy, Jon Parker Douglas, Sarah Anne Henkel, Chad Calvert, Teressa Coleman, Erik D'Esterre and Andy Faulkenberry. The 30-person cast also features talented student performers.

"Scrooge!" is directed by Craig Kolkebeck. A Resident Teaching Artist at Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Kolkebeck has worked nationally in film and television and has directed award-winning theatre around the region. On this production, he is joined by Musical Director Drina Keen, Choreographer Ron Chisholm and Scenic and Costume Designer Bob Croghan.

"Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' is a wonderful classic that reminds us to be thankful for the things we have. Leslie Bricusse has brilliantly adapted the story and written beautiful and memorable songs that carry us through the journey and transformation of a lonely man," says Kolkebeck. "My hope is that through Scrooge's discoveries and realizations, we may all be humbled and grateful for the love we have in our own lives."

Performance times and dates are:

Friday, December 3 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 4 3:00 pm
Sunday, December 5 2:00 pm
Friday, December 10 7:30 pm - SOLD OUT
Saturday, Dec. 11 3:00 pm
Sunday, December 12 2:00 pm
Friday, December 17 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 18 3:00 pm
Saturday, December 18 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 19 2:00 pm
Wednesday, December 22 11:00 am
Wednesday, December 22 3:00 pm
Thursday, December 23 3:00 pm
Performances will be held in the McColl Family Theatre at ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street. Front Orchestra tickets are $24.00; General Section tickets are $18.00. For tickets to the productions, call The Children's Theatre Box Office at 704-973-2828 (10 am-5 pm, Mon.-Fri.) or visit our website: www.ctcharlotte.org. For ages 7+/Grades 2+.

The Littlest Angel
Children's Theatre of Charlotte's Resident Touring Company, the Tarradiddle Players, comes home for the holidays with "The Littlest Angel." The Littlest Angel has just arrived in Heaven and simply cannot adjust to new rules like "No swinging on the pearly gates," and "Don't be late for rehearsals of the heavenly choir." When the Understanding Angel brings him a wooden box full of childhood treasures from his life on earth, he finally begins to feel a bit more at home. As the Littlest Angel gets used to life in Heaven, he changes his irresponsible ways, but it isn't until he gives a heartfelt gift to the newborn child that he becomes truly angelic. This simple, charming story continues to be a holiday favorite for ages 3 and up.

Friday, December 3 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 4 11:00 am
Saturday, December 4 1:00 pm
Sunday, December 5 2:00 pm
Sunday, December 5 4:00 pm
Saturday, December 11 11:00 am
Saturday, December 11 1:00 pm
Sunday, December 12 2:00 pm
Sunday, December 12 4:00 pm
Saturday, December 18 11:00 am
Saturday, December 18 1:00 pm
Sunday, December 19 2:00 pm
Sunday, December 19 4:00 pm
Wednesday, December 22 11:00 am
Thursday, December 23 11:00 am
Performances will be held in the Wachovia Playhouse at ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street. Front Orchestra tickets are $18.00; General Section tickets are $14.00. For tickets to the productions, call The Children's Theatre Box Office at 704-973-2828 (10 am-5 pm, Mon.-Fri.) or visit our website: www.ctcharlotte.org. For ages 3+/Grades PreK+.

Children's Theatre of Charlotte is supported, in part, with an Operating Grant from the Arts & Science Council, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc. and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

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