A Christmas Carol: The Concert
You ask yourself, “How could I possibly be surprised by A Christmas Carol,” and then you hear composer Bob Christianson and lyricist Alisa Hauser’s orchestral setting of the Dickens classic and you say, “oh that’s how.” The timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge is told through glorious, memorable and irresistible new songs, ranging from classical to blues and Broadway to gospel.
The PBS special was filmed at the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois using a full symphony orchestra, a choir made up of members of the Elmhurst College Choir and the Uniting Voices Chicago and a stellar rock/pop rhythm section.
Featuring an all-star cast of E. Faye Butler as The Narrator, Michael Aaron Lindner as Scrooge, Scott Coulter as Fred/Bob Cratchit & others, Kyle Scatliffe as Marley/The Ghosts & others and Arya Daire as Belle, A Christmas Carol: The Concert is an instant new holiday classic.
Notes and Quotes
"...a glorious new musical version of the classic that takes its cue from the hugely successful “Live from Lincoln Center” programs. Like those artful shows, it is a recording of a stellar dramatic concert presented before a live audience and then aired over PBS stations. Producer Silberstein and director Matt Hoffman have assembled mostly Chicago-area talent for a powerhouse rendering of a new staged concert version of the Dickens classic that features soaring music and orchestrations by Bob Christianson (co-composer of the hit “Too Hot to Handel”); a vivid, crystal-clear adaptation and lyrics by Alisa Hauser; a splendid orchestra impeccably conducted by Amy Duran, and members of the Elmhurst College Concert Choir and Chicago Children’s Choir under Susan Moninger. —Hedy Weiss, The Chicago Sun-Times