Charles Dickens' A
Christmas Carol, Orange
County's beloved holiday
family tradition, returns to South Coast Repertory for its 28th
incarnation. Adapted for the stage by
Jerry Patch and directed by John-David Keller, Dickens' classic tale runs on
the Segerstrom Stage from Nov. 24 through Dec. 24. Low-priced previews begin Nov. 24. Opening night is Nov 30. Press night is Dec. 1 at 7:30. Tickets are available by calling the box
office at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting www.scr.org.
Hal Landon Jr., who has never missed a season since he
originated the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in 1980, returns as the world's most
celebrated miser. Joining the cast for
the first time in pivotal roles are Karen Hensel as "Mrs. Fezziwig," Tom
Shelton as "Jacob Marley" and "The Spirit of Christmas Yet-to-Come," Nathan
Baesel as "Fred" and Joe Quintero as "Ebenezer as a Young Man."
The production features the return of Founding Artists and
long-time cast members Richard Doyle (The Spirit of Christmas Past) and Art
Koustik (Joe), as well as SCR regular Timothy Landfield (The Spirit of
Christmas Present). Director Keller
also appears for the sixth season as "Mr. Fezziwig." Returning in the roles of "Bob Cratchit" and
"Mrs. Cratchit" are Daniel Blinkoff and Jennifer Parsons; and Jennifer Chu and
Ann Marie Lee are back for their second seasons as "Belle" and "Sally,"
respectively.
A Christmas Carol
was first published in 1843 as a novella and quickly became a perennial holiday
favorite. The story of love and
redemption remains one of Charles Dickens' most widely recognized and popular
creations. On Christmas Eve,
penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge is his usual miserly self, chasing off
solicitors for the poor, chastising his sole employee, Bob Cratchit, for
wanting to take off Christmas Day and insulting his nephew Fred for celebrating
a holiday that "has never put a penny in anyone's pocket." But that night, Scrooge is visited by the
ghost of his dead partner, who portends the arrival of three spirits who will
show him the desolate path he has chosen and offer him a chance to correct his
ways.
Joining the cast of A
Christmas Carol are three graduates of South Coast Repertory's Professional
Intensive Program: Jessie Kim (Elizabeth
Shelley), Bryan
Vickery (Mr. Topper) and Branden McDonald (Young Jacob Marley). The cast also includes16 local students
selected from South Coast Repertory's Youth and Teen programs. This year's group of Cratchit kids and street
urchins consists of (by hometown):
Corona del Mar – Phillip Swanson; Garden Grove – Karoline Ribak;
Foothill Ranch – Jacob Waller, Renee Waller; Fountain Valley – Zach Diamond;
Huntington Beach – Brianna Beach, Lauren Speakman; Irvine – Anita Abdi, Kamisha
Brooks, Pranav Mutatkar, Matthew Pancoe; Lake Forest – Nick Johnson; Newport
Beach – Parker Cohn; San Clemente – Jason Risdana; San Juan Capistrano – Brenna
Barker, Gracie Gordon.
The creative team for A Christmas Carol includes Tom
Buderwitz (set design), Dwight Richard Odle (costume design), Tom and Donna
Ruzika (lighting design), Dennis McCarthy (musical arrangement/composer), Drew
Dalzell (sound design), Dennis Castellano (vocal director), Linda Kostalik
(choreographer), Hisa Takakuwa (Assistant Director) and Erin Nelson (stage
manager).
Julianne and George Argyros are Honorary Producers, and The
Orange County Register and Cox are Media Partners.
Tickets to A Christmas
Carol can be purchased online at www.scr.org,
by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.
Ticket prices range from $23 to $55.
Performances begin on Nov. 24 and continue through Dec. 24. Low-priced preview performances are available
from Nov. 24-27. Performance times: Previews:
Saturday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25 at 12:00 p.m. and 4:00
p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Performances: Tuesday -
Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 12:00
and 4:00 p.m. and Monday, December 24 at 4:00 p.m. Discounts are available for
children 12 and under and groups of 15 or more.
There will be an ASL-interpreted performance on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 2:30
p.m.
South Coast Repertory is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa
Mesa, at the Bristol Street/Avenue of the Arts exit off the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Folino
Theater Center,
part of the Segerstrom
Center for the Arts. Parking is available off Anton Blvd. on Park Center Drive.
