It’s a story that has been an important part of the holiday season since its inception in 1884 and has been reimagined again and again. Yet, this year, you can enjoy this timeless message with new eyes and new ears when Tuacahn presents a musical version of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.
“This is going to be such a wonderful holiday show for Tuacahn audiences,” said Mara Newbery Greer, director and choreographer. “It focuses on messages of love, kindness and forgiveness, all of which are so important to this community.”
The story itself features all the characters audiences will know and love, including the ghosts of past, present and future, as well as the Cratchit family, the Fezziwigs, Jacob Marley, and of course Ebenezer Scrooge. In addition, this version is filled with the music of Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens, creating an even more magical, memorable experience.
“It’s the traditional story, but it’s completely filled with music,” Greer said. “Menken does such a great job with his scores, it really keeps the show moving along, and he is able to set the tone of the show immediately through the music.”
On its surface, the story of A Christmas Carol is about a man who loves money more than people, and the perilous toll that attitude can take on a person’s life. However, Greer said upon closer inspection there are additional layers to the tale, including how important it is to feel loved.
“Scrooge loses his dad, and then his sister and his best friend and all he’s trying to do is hold onto what his dad told him to do, which was to ‘save your pennies,’” Greer said. “It’s a story about how broken we can become when there’s an absence of love in our life, and how dark of a place we can go.”
In one of the biggest shows ever performed in the Hafen Theatre, a cast of 24 adults and seven children have the task of sharing that important message, but ultimately it is a message of hope and joy that carries this story through time and into people’s hearts every Christmas season.
“Christopher Gurr is quite exceptional in the role of Scrooge,” Greer said. “He really allows us to go on this journey with him. People are really going to connect with him.”
That connection, along with big dance numbers, delightful music, and poignant messages make Tuacahn’s A Christmas Carol the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit.
The show opens Nov. 22 and continues through Dec. 21. Tickets are selling fast. Get yours online at www.tuacahn.org And don’t miss the rest of the holiday festivities happening across the Tuacahn campus with the annual Christmas in the Canyon and live nativity, happening Nov. 29 to Dec. 23.
