Jacob Marley News

Trustus closes out the holiday season for theatre in Columbia!

The Logos Theater presents A Christmas Carol: A New Musical!

Though it's not billed as a musical, there's quite a bit of singing in Chesapeake Shakespeare's A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Anchored by strong character work, the production diverges from the format of 'straight play' by featuring wonderful harmonies and active, authentic-looking dances. Visual interest is high with action on three levels of staging, brisk pacing, brilliant costuming and dramatic special effects. Charles Dickens' effervescent dialogue and narrative paired with writer Ian Gallanar's adjustments create a classic rendition with a special Christmas In Baltimore flourish, a successful adaptation full of little surprises.

There's a new immersive theatrical experience at the Wren's Nest Museum in Atlanta this month, and it's definitely going to ring your Christmas bell. From the mind of visionary Atlanta director Brian Clowdus comes The Christmas Carol Experience, an interactive holiday concoction that's two parts Christmas party and one part Dickensian storytelling. The storytelling component of the evening offers little more than a wave at Dickens' frumpy and heavy-handed holiday novella, A Christmas Carol. Instead, it relies on the audience to bring a bit of working knowledge of Ebenezer Scrooge, literary history's most famous mizer, while it, bolstered by an impressive cast of five actors, provides the perfect 19th-century atmospheric backdrop, courtesy of The Wren's Nest, one of Atlanta's oldest homes with ghost-story spookiness built right in, and an abundance of holiday cheer. Here's how it works: The audience, mourners at Jacob Marley's funeral with Christmas cocktails in hand, are free to travel about the open rooms of the museum. What happens next depends on which characters are in the room. If Ebenezer and his deliciously ghostly guide, Marley, are present, the rooms offer up newly reimagined versions of Ebenezer's encounters with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. If Ebenezer and Marley are not present, the rooms offer up interactive holiday cheer - maybe a singalong or a fun game. Newsflash: If you don't end up singing a solo in a room full of strangers before you leave, you did it wrong. This unusual rendering of the holiday classic demands only five actors, and each one is up to the challenge of providing a believable, up-close-and-personal experience. Of particular note are the performances of the beautifully Bah Humbug-gy Daniel Burns in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and an incredibly talented Jordan Patrick in the role of the doomed-for-eternity Jacob Marley. Their laudable non-verbal storytelling skills nicely supplement the thin script, leaving the audience with a rich and satisfying experience. Lilliangina Quinones, Julie Trammel Key, and Rosie Gyselinck, all playing women from Scrooge's life who take on the roles of Ebenezer's Christmas ghosts, are, in addition to carrying their equal parts of the forward movement of the story, all up to the demanding task of leading rooms full of people through carols and games while remaining firmly rooted in the 19th-century sensibilities of their characters. The production is, unarguably, a pure sensory delight. The Wren's Nest, with its creaky floorboards and weather-stained walls and ceiling, is the important sixth character in this cast, and it is impressive in its role. In addition to the authentic Victorian oppressiveness that comes with the house, thick fog and eerie lighting aptly service the needs of the story and underscore the beauty of Clowdus's carefully crafted stage pictures. Here's a helpful tip: Follow Scrooge and Marley into the first room if you can. The experience is disorienting by nature, and following the story from beginning to end will likely quell some of the initial feelings of bewilderment you might face. But if Marley slams the door in your face while you are trying to enter that first room, as he did mine, don't fret. The story, as it is meant to do, will culminate in a softer and more charitable Scrooge, and it will leave you feeling the joy of the holiday season no matter the order in which you experience it.

Despite its flaws, it will immediately put you in the Christmas spirit!

Babyboomers are familiar with the original 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. Stewart played George Bailey who was trapped in his father's Savings and Loan establishment in Bedford Falls, unable to pursue his dreams. Now through December 23 only, the Pasadena Playhouse is presenting a radio play version live onstage adapted by Joe Landry from the 1946 screenplay.

On Sunday, December 9th, Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) honored two cast members, David Coffee (Ebenezer Scrooge) and Cheryl McMahon (Mrs. Dilber), both celebrating their 25th appearance in the holiday show, A CHRISTMAS CAROL playing thru Sunday, December 23, 2018.  

Trustus's spin on Dickens' classic continues!Trustus Theatre presents JACOB MARLEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL by Tom Mula. The production is directed by Patrick Michael Kelly and stars Kevin Bush, Jeff Driggers, Richard Edward III, and Krista Forster. Scenic design by Sam Hetler. Lighting design by Curtis Smoak. Costume design by Jean Gonzalez Lomasto. Sound design by Patrick Michael Kelly. Hair design by Christine Hellman. Property design by Patrick Michael Kelly and Sam Hetler. JACOB MARLEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL opens Friday, November 30th and runs through Saturday, December 22nd. Showtimes are 7:30 PM on Thursdays, 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3:00 PM on Sundays, except for Sunday, December 16th at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $28/$25 for adults and $20 for students/seniors/military and can be purchased at the door, online, or by calling the box office at 803-254-9732, extension 1. Group rates also available. Trustus Theatre is located at 520 Lady Street, Columbia, SC 29201. For more information, visit www.trustus.org.

'Tis the season to be merry and there's no better way than gathering friends and family to enjoy the best in entertainment. McCarter Theatre is now presenting Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol,' wonderfully directed by Adam Immerwahr.

Le Petit Theatre is kicking-off the holiday season with their first-annual production of Charles Dickens' beloved tale, A Christmas Carol. In addition to spreading holiday cheer, the company intends to make this production a perennial favorite for generations of New Orleanians. Most everyone knows the classic tale of miserly and menacing moneylender Ebenezer Scrooge, but not everyone has experienced watching him learn lessons in love, generosity, and redemption live and in person as he is visited by a host of spirits on Christmas Eve. This production is filled with magic, ghosts, glorious costumes, a stunning set design, and holiday cheer.

In short, A CHRISTMAS CAROL is perfect holiday entertainment. This deeply affecting tale is filled with the redeeming power of love and the importance of charitable giving. Beautifully presented in a fun and festive package this production can be enjoyed by kids from one to ninety-two. Grab a cookie, a cup of hot cocoa and settle in to rediscover the story that made Christmas merry to begin with.

Marietta's New Theatre in the Square is bringing the holiday favorite Christmas character Ebenezer Scrooge to life in a classical way this season. From December 8-24, the theatre company will present 'A Christmas Carol' under the writing and direction of N.L. Starr.

A Christmas Carol in and of itself, is a Christmas tradition, if not for all, certainly for many families across the world. In fact, when the book first went to print on December 19, 1843, it sold out by Christmas Eve. I suppose the story has been a tradition for some stemming back generations; back to the beginning. AT DCPA, the telling of A Christmas Carol is what many look forward to each holiday season, and this year's production does not disappoint. 

A unique retelling of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas story returns this holiday season when Pittsburgh Musical Theater presents Ken Gargaro's A Lyrical Christmas Carol.

North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre partners with Actors Comedy Lab to present 'an alternative holiday production': Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol by Tom Mula.

After his hit production of King Charles III, David Muse returns to Shakespeare Theatre Company to direct Shakespeare's Richard the Third, a mesmerizing chronicle of the megalomaniac's rampage to the throne. The production will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from February 5-March 10, 2019.

Starting December 7th Elm Street Cultural Arts Village's holiday tradition returns to Woodstock with the opening night of A Christmas Carol, a joyous and touching musical version of the Charles Dickens classic. When visited by the ghost of former business partner Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge examines his past, present, and future and learns the true spirit of the season, with the help of three ghosts along the way.

Plan on celebrating the joys of Christmas in Arrow Rock in December! The Lyceum stage will once again be aglow with good spirits and Christmas tradition as Charles Dickens' immortal classic, A Christmas Carol, comes musically to life. Only 13 performances, December 12 through December 23.

A unique retelling of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas story returns this holiday season when Pittsburgh Musical Theater presents Ken Gargaro's A Lyrical Christmas Carol.

Turner Crumbley stars as Ebenezer Scrooge with Peppy Biddy directing.