Review Roundup: EBENEZER SCROOGE'S BIG SAN DIEGO CHRISTMAS SHOW at The Old Globe - What Did the Critics Think?

Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show at The Old Globe is a hilarious family-friendly Scrooge parody set in San Diego.

Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, it is written by Gordon Greenberg (the Globe's The Heart of Rock & Roll and Working, London's Guys and Dolls and Barnum) and Steve Rosen (The Other Josh Cohen, The Curious Case of the Curse of Count Dracula!), and directed by Greenberg. Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show begins performances November 23, 2019 and runs through December 29 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

Let's see what the critics are saying...

E.H. Reiter, BroadwayWorld: Set design by Adam Koch uses the space in the theatre in the round well, includes lots of props, and works well with the lighting design by Amanda Zieve. The costumes by David Israel Reynoso are period appropriate but also allow for quick changes as needed. Scrooge even dons flip-flops for the holiday celebration, a move which I, as a native San Diegan wholeheartedly can endorse. It seems appropriate that a story about transformation has found itself transformed into this clever, and high energy show. It's a nice reminder that fun and silliness are also a part of this holiday celebration.

James Hebert, San Diego Union Tribune: If the sense of place doesn't always feel quite so San Diego as the dialogue, and there are the occasional sight-line issues on Adam Koch's minimalist but effective set in the arena-style White Theatre, this is still about 85 zippy, intermission-free minutes of festive escapism.

Bill Eadie, Talkin' Broadway: Mr. Greenberg's staging involves clever use of props, a scenic design by Adam Koch that is full of surprises, and uniformly sparkling performances by all of the cast members. There is even a bit of audience participation in the celebration of Christmas cheer that results from Scrooge's epiphany. The merriment is also facilitated by David Israel Reynoso's costume design, Amanda Zieve's lighting design, and Bart Fasbender's sound design.