Willem Lange Returns To Lost Nation Theater With A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST STORY In December

Lost Nation Theater will present Willem Lange’s reading of A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story on Sunday, December 7, 2025, marking the storyteller’s 50th consecutive year performing the Dickens classic.

The one-show event begins at 2 p.m. at City Hall Arts Center in downtown Montpelier, with in-person seating and livestream options available. The performance will take place on the Lost Nation Theater stage, which is equipped with a Synexis air purification system.

“We love adding our theatrical magic to Willem's nuanced storytelling in this wonderful tradition,” said Producing Artistic Director Kathleen Keenan. “2025 is Willem's 50th Anniversary and we're so pleased to have helped keep his performance streak unbroken. The atmospheric environment, designed by Kim Bent, illuminated by SJB Lighting Design, enhances the mood to make Dickens glorious tale dazzle and shine.”

Lange, an Emmy Award–winning writer and storyteller, has performed his reading of A Christmas Carol annually since 1975. “Christmas is my time to howl,” he says. His rendition is based on the original prompter script used by Charles Dickens during his 1867–68 American tour, which Lange first encountered during his college years in Ohio.

Jim Lowe of the Times Argus/Rutland Herald wrote of Lange’s early Lost Nation Theater appearance: “Rather than an impressionist, Lang is a raconteur par excellence. Sometimes he did portray, but he was much more like a grandfather telling his grandchildren a Christmas story. And, child or adult, it was irresistible.”

Reflecting on the beginnings of his long dedication to the text, Lange said, “In 1975, I sat down with my typewriter and an LP recording of Professor Lean's performance, and typed out the script. That took some patience. My wife and I invited friends over; I borrowed a set of tails; and we held the first session in our living room. Who would have suspected it would come to this!”

Lost Nation Theater is presenting Lange’s performance for the fifth time as part of its annual holiday programming. Founder Kim Bent added, “It's inspiring to work with Willem Lange, one of New England's most loved raconteurs, and help bring his inimitable storytelling instincts to Charles Dickens' iconic tale. It's ‘no-brainer’ casting!”