Christmas Carol

My version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol premiered at Newnan Community Theatre Company in 1980 and was for several years thereafter done every holiday season until we couldn’t stand it any more.  For a while, we did it every other year, but after I retired as artistic director, it fell into obscurity.

In 2015, I returned to direct the show, reorchestrating the show once again for full orchestra via MIDI.  These are the straight-through sound files; many contain sections which—in performance—vamp under scenes.

There is also a version for a live ensemble of piano, synthesizer/keyboard, flute, clarinet, cello, glockenspiel, and tubular bells.  That is available upon request.

2016: There are now two versions of the script:

  • the original, which is a straightforward telling of the story
  • the “Sleepover Edition,” for those theatres who have a surplus of little girls and not enough adults to go around: spoiled, nasty Natalie has a sleepover to celebrate her Christmas birthday (a week late), and when her grandfather has to intervene in her bullying, the girls ask for a “ghost story.”  He pulls out a book and begins reading, “Marley was dead…”  As the story progresses, the girls progress from being passive listeners to active participants in the story, finally becoming completely empowered to tell the story themselves.  (Natalie, of course, learns her lesson about empathy along with Scrooge.)

If your theatre is interested in either, contact me.

Enjoy!

  1. Overture | mp3
  2. Opening | score | mp3
  3. Bah! Humbug! | score | mp3
  4. Marley’s Approach | mp3
  5. Marley’s Departure | mp3
  6. Past’s Arrival | mp3
  7. Fezziwig’s | mp3
  8. Country Dance | mp3
  9. A Reason for Laughter | score | mp3
  10. That You | score | mp3
  11. Past’s Departure | mp3
  12. Christmas Present Street Scene | score2016 score | mp3 | 2016 version (shorter, simpler Chorale)
  13. The Cratchits’ Prayer | score | mp3
  14. Fred’s Waltz | mp3
  15. 20 Questions | score | mp3 | note: this song is spoken, not sung; the score is squirrelly
  16. Ignorance and Want | score | mp3
  17. People Like Us | score | mp3
  18. Graveyard | mp3
  19. Finale | score | mp3

3 thoughts on “Christmas Carol

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *