9/28/2021
Performances and Artists / Broadway Las Vegas
Most audiences have seen many versions of “A Christmas Carol,” acknowledges director Thomas Caruso.
But the new hit Broadway adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” reimagines Charles Dickens’ classic with elements people haven’t experienced before, he promises.
“It all adds to the feeling that audiences are participating in it,” Caruso says. “In this day of COVID where everything is so distanced, this production finds a way to draw the audience into it.”
Nominated for five Tony Awards and thrilling for all ages, the production even stars Bradley Whitford — the Emmy-winning costar of hit TV shows “West Wing” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” — as Ebenezer Scrooge.
“I hope people leave the production and want to reach out to someone they haven’t reached out to in a long time,” Carusos says. “And maybe they can even have some self-reflection on the idea that it’s never too late to start out or challenge yourself.”
An Immersive Experience
With the audience’s health and safety ever in mind, this show provides an immersive experience, Caruso says.
Cast members enter and exit through the aisles. They also gather throughout the show to form a bell choir on stage, performing a total of 12 classic carols like “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.”
Many of the actors also step out of the ensemble to tell the story directly to viewers.
“We’re telling this story to the audience firsthand. That’s what makes it a little different,” Caruso says. “It shows how in a way, Scrooge could be any one of us, depending on where people are in life.”
The show’s choreographer Lizzi Gee also adds merriment and a historic touch by inserting authentic, Victorian-period dances throughout the show.
“It really captures the spirit of that Victorian era,” Caruso says.
Stunning visual effects will complement all of these elements, with hundreds of lanterns gleaming throughout the theater.
“The whole theme of this show is enlightenment and illumination,” Caruso says. “It really explores how someone can be going through life in darkness, and sometimes it takes external forces for people to be able to see the light and grow and change.”
Adding Star Power
Caruso expresses great enthusiasm to have stage-and-screen actor Bradley Whitford starring as Scrooge.
Whitford previously starred in “Boeing-Boeing” on Broadway, where he worked with Tony-winning director Matthew Warchus (“Matilda,” “Ghost: The Musical”), who first launched this production of “A Christmas Carol” at The Old Vic theater in London.
“Bradley’s pedigree is unparalleled as far as his dramatic work on television and film,” Caruso says. “He has the gravitas and also the heart and the humor that I think is sometimes overlooked in the character of Scrooge.”
He feels confident that Whitford’s vast experience and versatility will enrich how the story unfolds on stage.
“Oftentimes, there are many roles he’s played that seem a little dark, and I think it truly takes an actor with huge heart and generous spirit to be able to approach that darkness and bring his own take to it, and make it multifaceted,” Caruso says.
A Story We All Need
Caruso understands why “A Christmas Carol” continues to resonate with people over 150 years after its publication in December 1843.
“The human condition never changes,” he says. “We’re always faced with challenges, whether from our past, whether personal or professional, that make us question our faith in the world and in life and in others.”
And it can still take “a monumental event” to remind humans how much they have in common, he adds.
“I think it’s pretty universal right now, after what our entire world has been going through,” he says.
“A Christmas Carol” run from November 23 to 28, 2021 – click here for tickets.