A CHRISTMAS CAROL to Return to KC Rep for 37th Year in World Premiere Adaptation

Kansas City Repertory Theatre continues its 2017/18 season with a 37-year holiday tradition, Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, running November 17 through December 24 at Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus.

This year's production features a world premiere adaptation by Kansas City Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director, Eric Rosen, who is celebrating his 10th season at the artistic helm of KCRep.

Rosen has taken the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his three ghostly visitors closer to the original text of Charles Dickens' book, but with all the joy and exuberance audiences have come to love. Well-known and beloved Kansas City actors Mark Robbins and Gary Neal Johnson return as Dickens and Scrooge respectively, along with the rest of the talented cast, helping KCRep celebrate the 37th retelling of this production.

"After 37 years it's both daunting and thrilling to look at a much-beloved production through a new lens." explains Rosen. "This is a chance to re-examine, reimagine and remake a piece of art, and I'm finding Dickens' original text much funnier and joyful than I remember. I'm fairly certain that this discovery will also be shared by our audiences."

A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a novella by Charles Dickens about Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old businessman, who is well-known for his 'bah-humbug' ways, especially around the Christmas holiday season.

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by a series of ghosts, starting with his old business partner, Jacob Marley. The three spirits which follow, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come, show Scrooge how his mean behavior has affected those around him. At the end of the story, he is relieved to discover that there is still time for him to change, and we see him transformed into a more generous and kind-hearted soul.

The almost entirely Kansas City-based cast for A CHRISTMAS CAROL features the addition of a choir to bolster the holiday feeling and help move the story along.

Nothing says holiday tradition quite like A CHRISTMAS CAROL, an inimitable Dickens tale of hope and redemption. KCRep's 2017 production features more joyous music and dancing, breath-taking costumes and a soaring set that has become the trademark of KCRep productions. Audiences will be transported back to the streets of Victorian London with this new adaptation penned by Eric Rosen.

Tickets for A CHRISTMAS CAROL start at $25 and may be purchased by visiting kcrep.org/show/ACC or by calling the KCRep box office at 816-235-2700. Groups of nine or more receive discounted tickets. Receive daily updates by 'Liking' KCRep's Facebook page, and follow KC Rep on Twitter at @KCRep or on YouTube.