Photos: First Look at the Cast of THE GHOSTS ALL AROUND YOU Opening At MSTDA

What do Charles Dickens, Nelly Bly, Scrooge, Oliver Twist and the people of Roosevelt Island all have in common? They will all be appearing live this holiday season on Roosevelt Island! The ghosts of Roosevelt Island will be coming to life to tell a tale in which worlds are interwoven in a gripping and meaningful story of equality, human connection and compassion, just in time for the season of giving!

Composer and Co-writer, Jonathan Fadner has been riding a ghostly train of thought similar to the "greatest writer in English history", Charles John Huffman Dickens. Jonathan Fadner's driving musical score ranges from totally rockin' to heartbreakingly beautiful.

The musical is set on Roosevelt Island, featuring landmarks such as the Smallpox Hospital and The Octagon (formerly the NYC Insane Asylum). Even the Roosevelt Island Red Public Bus plays a role! Every year, since her husband William (played by Gabriel Portuondo) died, the struggling yet optimistic single mother Cheryl Makepeace (played by Kimbirdlee) reads "A Christmas Carol" to her three young children, hoping to teach her kids goodwill and kindness. This year, the family moved to Roosevelt Island, and Cheryl works for the modern day Scrooge and real estate tycoon, Potiphar Stingyas (played by Russ Cusick.) Circumstances arise to reveal inequalities and painful pasts which lead to self-examination, redemption and valuable life lessons, as the ghosts of the past try to break through and a memorable story is told and sung.

"These ghosts are indeed all around us, and it's with that pleasant haunting that I invite you into the world of Jonathan Fadner's ghostly conjurations during this holiday time. As our own Ghost of Yet to Come leaves us wondering how the season will unfold, consider taking the time to honor those who've been lost and to look back on how far we've come, as well as celebrating the wonder and grace that enable us to share our time together, if but for this one moment in the present." - Steven Eng, Director

The Howe Theatre, Roosevelt Island Cultural Center, 548 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044. Find tickets and more at https://www.mstda.org/upcoming-shows-1.

Photo Credit: Irina Island Images