A Christmas Carol

So, I'm sure you've all been wondering where we've been. Well, most of you probably already know, but we've been busy participating in a production of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" that has pretty much consumed any "spare" time for the last almost two months. I was the music director for the show, and I also played the role of Jacob Marley's ghost (as well as a generic Londoner). Liz played Mrs. Mopps, Scrooge's housekeeper - a role that is not in the book, but was created for this version of the story. She also took on a general chorus role for parts of the play.

The version we did is a version for which the music was written by Alan Menken, of Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Little Shop of Horrors fame. It has been performed on Broadway every Christmas for the past 14 or so years, and was also made into a TV movie in 2004 with Kelsey Grammar taking on the role of Scrooge. It has a few aspects that are different from other versions of the story, but basically follows the original plot as written by Dickens, with many direct quotes from the book. The music is really fun and upbeat, and basically goes non-stop from the beginning to the end of the play.

We started rehearsals back in late October, and we had 10 performances between Dec. 6th and Dec. 13th. Here are some pictures of Liz and I in the show:

This is us in the opening scene as carolers.

Here I am as Marley trying to scare the heck out of Scrooge. This was a really fun scene with a song called "Link by Link." I even got to levitate!

Here we are dancing at "Mr. Fezziwig's Annual Christmas Ball." 

Here's Liz as Mrs. Mopps selling Scrooge's shirt to the rags and bones man.

My biggest challenge for this show was make-up. Jean (the director) wanted me to sing with the carolers in the opening scene. Then I had about 5 minutes to change costumes and get my ghost make-up on for the "Link by Link" scene. Then I had just a few minutes to wipe that make-up off, put on normal stage make-up, and change costumes for the Fezziwig scene. Then it was back into the Marley costume and make-up for a brief appearance replacing my still alive self after he had a heart attack. Then it was back into normal make-up and costume to be a Londoner for the rest of the show. Whew!

Anyway, after a couple of very shaky dress rehearsals, the show turned out really well and the audiences seemed to enjoy it very much. At the end of the show after we took our bows the whole cast would go out and surround the audience and sing a last chorus of "God Bless Us Everyone," and that really had a profound effect on everyone who came. By the way, I sold 100 tickets to this show -- even more than I sold for Fiddler. 

Anyway, that's why you haven't heard from us. In between all the rehearsals, we also had auditions for next season. Liz has decided to take next year off, but I will be playing Horton the Elephant in "Seussical, the Musical" in February, and Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast in October. In between, I will be music directing "The King and I" in June.