Centenary Stage to Present A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL, 11/29-12/15

"A tonic for children and adults...a transfixing journey...," raved the New York Times about the show that ran for ten years in Madison Square Garden. 2011's smash hit returns to the Centenary Stage Company in this season's Family Holiday Spectacular A Christmas Carol: The Musical, running November 29 through December 15 in the Sitnik Theatre. Charles Dickens' beloved Christmas classic comes to life as a musical extravaganza in the Sitnik Theater of the David and Carol Lackland Center in Hackettstown.

This beloved tale gets the full Broadway treatment by the Broadway team of Alan Menken ("Beauty and the Beast," "Little Mermaid,"), Lynn Ahrens ("Ragtime," "Seussical") and Mike Okrent ("Crazy For You," "Me and My Girl. A Christmas Carol retains its emotional power and pure joy, thanks to the marvelously-told story filled with beautiful melodies and emotional lyric. The Star Ledger says, "Centenary Stage Company grandly picks up where Madison Square Garden left off."

Directed by Broadway veteran, Michael Blevins, A Christmas Carol features a cast of 65 actors, young and old, hailing from New York and New Jersey. Osborn Focht returns to the CSC stage in the lead role of "Scrooge." Focht is best known for his appearance in Paul Simon's The Capeman on Broadway, and as Benny Andersson in Kristina at Carnegie Hall. Other returning performers include last season's lovable lion from The Wizard of Oz, Jeremy Hilgert. The cast of A Christmas Carol will also feature students from the Centenary College Theatre Department, as well as the state-acclaimed CSC Young Performers Musical Theatre program and local performers from the region. "This production celebrates everything theatrical here at Centenary, and is our homage to this amazing new facility and its benefactors," said General Manager Catherine Rust, "and it's going to be such great fun for everyone!"

Performances for A Christmas Carol are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2 PM, Wednesday December 4 at 2 pm, and Wed, December 11 at 10 am (school matinee), with an additional preview matinee on Friday, Nov 25 at 2 pm. Ticket prices are $27.50 for adults on Matinees and Fridays and $29.50 on Saturdays with discounts for seniors, students and children under 12. Thursday evening tickets are $27.50 with a two-for-one Family Night discount when purchased at the door.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.centenarystageco.org, at the CSC Box Office in The Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave in Hackettstown, or by calling 908-979-0900. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday 1-5 p.m., and 2 hours prior to performance times. CSC also operates a second Box Office during the season at 217 Main Street in Hackettstown open Monday through Friday 3-6 p.m.

The 2013-14 season of performing arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the NJ State Council on the Arts, and CSC sponsors, including Premier Sponsor Heath Village Retirement Community, Silver Sponsors Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, The Holiday Inn in Budd Lake, and Fulton Bank, Bronze Sponsors The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

Pictured: Osborn Focht as "Scrooge" and Dave Scheffler as "Marley's Ghost"

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