The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge comes to thrilling new life as Tony Award® winner Jefferson Mays (I Am My Own Wife, Gentleman’s Guide…) plays over 50 roles in a virtuosic, master class of a performance that must be seen to be believed. This theatrical achievement comes from the haunting and hope-filled vision of one of Broadway’s most imaginative directors, Michael Arden (Tony-winning Best Revival – Once on this Island).
Unlike the 2019 Broadway production of “A Christmas Carol” or the long-running production many years ago at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, both of which were enlivened by music, this version (adapted by Mays, his wife Susan Lyons, and Arden) is pure, serious storytelling. As a result, the show often feels like Mays is reading the book to us, which can occasionally have the unintended effect of lulling one to sleep -- especially given how dark the theater often is.
A Christmas Carol, as conceived by Arden and scenic designer Diane Laffrey and adapted by Arden and Susan Lyons, weaves between the shock of spectacle like that sudden outage and the nimble close-up magic-like theatrics that Mays can accomplish on his own. He plays all the roles, from the jowly Scrooge to a tight-shouldered Tiny Tim, while also serving as the narrator. (It’s the mode of Carol-ing also performed by Patrick Stewart.) Arden and Laffrey often egg on the transformations with dramatic shifts in lighting (by Ben Stanton), but often that’s unnecessary. The spectacle of theatrical magic is less interesting than the spectacle Mays can conjure on his own.
1994 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
1995 | Off-Broadway |
Return Engagement [off-Broadway] Off-Broadway |
1996 | Off-Broadway |
Return Engagement [off-Broadway] Off-Broadway |
1996 | Broadway |
Return Engagement Broadway |
1997 | Off-Broadway |
Return Engagement [off-Broadway] Off-Broadway |
1998 | Off-Broadway |
Return Engagement [off-Broadway] Off-Broadway |
1999 | Off-Broadway |
Return Engagement [off-Broadway] Off-Broadway |
2000 | Off-Broadway |
Return Engagement [off-Broadway] Off-Broadway |
2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jefferson Mays |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Ken Elliott |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Solo Performance | Jefferson Mays |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Sound Design (Play or Musical) | Joshua D. Reid |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Video or Projection Design (Play or Musical) | Lucy Mackinnon |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Ben Stanton |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Dane Laffrey |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Joshua D. Reid |
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