11/4/2021
Performances and Artists / Broadway Las Vegas
From musicals to stage plays to miniseries and films, adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” continue to be produced, performed and patronized. During Christmastime, enjoying “A Christmas Carol” remains as longstanding a tradition as decorating homes, singing carols and purchasing gifts.
Charles Dickens’ classic story of a community’s hope and one man’s redemption remain at the heart of the holiday.
This story goes back farther than many know, however.
A Story Over a Century Old
“A Christmas Carol” — a story about the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge who believes Christmas is a “hum-bug” before encountering three ghosts who change his life — was first published in London in 1843 by Chapman & Hall.
Dickens, already a well-established author at the time, was said to be inspired to write this story after a visit to the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several establishments for London’s homeless children.
“A Christmas Carol” became an instant hit, selling out just four days after hitting bookstore shelves.
Beloved in Stage and Film
This story continues to enchant audiences across the globe, including with film adaptations like “Marley’s Ghost,” “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” “Scrooged” and “The Man Who Invented Christmas.”
This beloved narrative, most especially, has had decades-long staying power in the theater.
By 1844, just a year after the book was published, dramatizations of “A Christmas Carol” began to appear on the London stage.
One of them, “A Christmas Carol, Or Past Present and Future,” even received a personal endorsement by Dickens himself.
By the 19th century, yet another adaptation would take root and quickly become an audience favorite. John Copeland Buckstone premiered “Scrooge” at London's Vaudeville Theatre in October 1901. The play was adored by many and became the inspiration behind the first film iteration of the classic story.
R.W. Paul’s film “Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost,” was the earliest known film adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.”
Alan Menken’s Smash Hit
The most famous stage adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” included a musical iteration by American composer Alan Menken.
Fresh off of his Academy Award wins for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” Menken was given freedom to assemble a dream team of collaborators to work with on this project.
This included choreographer Susan Stroman, late British stage director Mike Ockrent, and Tony-nominated lyricist Lynn Ahrens (“Once on This Island”).
Through their collaboration, the musical played at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden from 1994 to 2003. During this time, a host of luminaries played Scrooge, including Terrence Mann, Tony Randall, Hal Linden, Roddy McDowall, F. Murray Abraham, Frank Langella, Tim Curry, Tony Roberts, Roger Daltrey and Jim Dale. The full cast featured over 100 performers.
This production also inspired a television film adaptation of the same name that premiered on the NBC television network in 2004. The production had its London debut in 2013, and subsequently held a concert at the London Musical Theatre Orchestra.
A New Tony-Winning Adaptation
Tony-winning playwright Jack Thorne’s (“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”) 2017 adaptation is the most recent commercially produced iteration of the story of Ebenezer Scrooge.
This Tony Award-winning production, originally conceived and directed by Matthew Warchus, now creates a new holiday tradition for families around the globe.
Thorne’s adaptation premiered at the Old Vic in London in November 2017 for a limited run, and returned during the holiday seasons in 2018 and 2019. Following its success in London, the play made its Broadway debut at the Lyceum Theatre in November 2019.
The production won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Adaptation and recently took home five 2020 Tony Awards, including: Best Original Score (Christopher Nightingale), Best Scenic Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Costume Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Lighting Design of a Play (Hugh Vanstone), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Simon Baker).
Now in 2021, “A Christmas Carol” embarks on a North American tour to bring the new holiday magic to families across the nation. The production will also return to The Old Vic for its fourth season this year.
A Lasting Legacy
There have been other influences on Christmas over the years, of course — but none so lasting as that of Dickens, Scrooge and company.
The story of “A Christmas Carol” reminds families that the holiday is about love and creating lasting memories with the ones you hold most dear.
The new Broadway adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” run from November 23 to 28 at The Smith Center – click here for tickets.