GROTON — New Life Fine Arts’ popular musical theater adaptation of Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” is a sure bet to rid you of any residual ‘humbugs’ in your heart, and promises to put you in the holiday spirit.
A cast of 64 and a small orchestra, conducted by John Skinner, features talent from Southern New England, including Holden locals Jon Lucier as Bob Cratchit and Bethany Stefano as Mrs. Cratchit. Also appearing in the ensemble and supporting roles are Anna Blackstone, also of Holden, and Aaron and Eskil Tranes of Paxton. The production will be performed at the Groton-Dunstable Performing Arts Center, 344 Main St., Groton, over two weekends in December.
“A seasonal dose of this Dickens classic is good for the soul,” says David MacAdam of Concord, the director, lyricist and composer of this piece, which he originally adapted and produced while living in England. “There is something cathartic about witnessing the on-stage transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge (performed by baritone Ben Morse of Natick). Dickens’ gifted prose introduces Scrooge as a ‘squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner’. I believe audiences are moved by his miraculous reclamation because there is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us and this message gives us hope.”
This adaptation highlights the work of the spirit to make a new man of Scrooge and weaves together Dickens’ story with another 19th century Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” written by renowned clergyman Phillips Brooks, from this side of the Atlantic, who was invited to preach before Queen Victoria at the Royal Chapel at Windsor. The juxtaposition of both Christmas carols clarifies Scrooge’s reaction to his wounded past, his spiritually impoverished present, and the warning of his woeful future if he fails to receive the change of heart described in Phillips Brooks’ carol.
This production has proved to be a family favorite in NLFA’s repertoire, bringing audiences to their feet and reminding them that the spirit of Christmas can be every day of the year.
Eight performances are scheduled: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 9, 10, 15 and 16, and 2:30 p.m. matinees Dec. 9, 10, 16 and 17. The show is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes long, with a 15-minute intermission. Tickets are $25, and may be purchased online at newlifefinearts.org/tickets.
