A CHRISTMAS CAROL Opens at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s one-hour production of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, opens Friday. The stage adaptation of the beloved tale about redemption against all odds features traditional carols and is on stage for just 10 performances through Dec. 22.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly businessman whose bitterness has increased with age. He cares little for the needs of his fellow man, preferring to keep money in his pocket rather than coal on the fire. His employee, Bob Cratchit, faithfully endures the ongoing chill from both his workplace and his boss. 

Faithfully, he keeps Scrooge in his prayers even though his own family struggles to survive on the meager salary he earns. The health of Cratchit’s young son, Tiny Tim, is as poor as the family is financially, but Scrooge’s heart is unmoved, and his coffers remain unopened.

Scrooge’s inhumanity stirs the spirit of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, who appears to him on Christmas Eve. Warning Scrooge of the fate that awaits if he does not change his ways, Marley tells him that he will be visited by three more spirits, and advises to heed the messages they bring. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come then appear to Scrooge in succession – reminding him of what was, pointing out what is, and showing him the bleak and lonely future he’s destined for should he continue on his present path. Not only will his life be quickly forgotten if he maintains his miserly ways, but those around him face hardships that he could have easily prevented.

Mark Goetzinger plays the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, with Jacob Butler as Bob Cratchit, and Michael Davis as Jacob Marley. Joining them are Bradley Allan Lowe as Fred, and Bridgette Ludlow as Mrs. Cratchit. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come are played by Vickie Cornelius Phipps, Jonathan Studdard, and Austin Stodghill respectively.

A Christmas Carol is directed by Elizabeth Stark Payne and choreographed by Ron Morgan. Music arrangements are by Michael Hoagland, with Debbie Myers as musical director.