Civic Theatre Presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL 12/3

On December 3rd, 2010, Civic Theatre will open the doors on A Christmas Carol, a show that ranks among the Lehigh Valley's most treasured holiday traditions. A Christmas Carol will be produced in Civic's historic 19th Street Theatre and will run through December 18th. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.CivicTheatre.com or by calling Civic's Box Office at 610.432.8943.

Over 130 community members make up the cast of this year's A Christmas Carol at Civic, some of whom have done more than a handful of the productions over the past twenty years. This year playing the role of Scrooge is London native Anthony Donnelly. A professional actor in Britian, Donnelly is excited to be making his American acting debut at Civic. "The fact that A Christmas Carol at Civic has a a legacy here in the Lehigh Valley is somewhat daunting. I may not have to work too hard on the authentic accent, but there is certainly pressure to deliver the best performance I can," says Donnelly. "I really love the community feel of the whole production and the inclusion of so many children from the area. It is inspiring to see so many young and talented individuals adding their part to the overall production."

Newcomers to Civic's Christmas Carol tradition include recent Lehigh Valley resident Bill Joachim as The Ghost of Jacob Marley and Jessette Long playing the role of Beatrice Fezziwig. 11-year old Nazareth resident Christopher Singer will be making his Civic Theatre debut delivering one of Charles Dickens' iconic lines as Tiny Tim.

Civic Artistic Director William Sanders, who pushed for A Christmas Carol to become an annual tradition after directing the 1989 production, is proud to have been at the helm for the majority of the shows. "I am so honored to be a part of a work that is not only part of Civic history, but a part of the history of so many families," says Sanders. "We've grown from a cast of 31 to over 130, so I've had the pleasure of working with thousands of cast and crew members that have helped to bring this amazing story to life on Civic's stage."

Multiple members of families show up in this year's cast. Mother and son pair Suzanne and Albert Nelthropp will be playing mother and son in the show itself as Mrs. Crachit and her son Peter, and several groups of brothers and sisters will be acting together.

The classic Charles Dickens tale has been adapted for the stage by Director William Sanders and Civic Board of Directors President Sharon Lee Glassman..