Menken & Ahrens' Christmas Carol Plays Alabama Shakespeare Starting Nov. 7
By Kenneth Jones
November 7, 2008
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival's holiday musical this year is A Christmas Carol: The Musical, with songs by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Lynn Ahrens, playing Nov. 7-Dec. 24 on the Festival Stage in Montgomery.
The resident production, directed by Geoffrey Sherman and choreographed by Karen Azenberg, follows in the ASF tradition of successful musical productions like Peter Pan and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This Carol is billed as "bigger and better" than any version seen before at ASF. The musical ran at The Theater at Madison Square Garden for several years and was later made into a TV musical. The libretto is by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens.
Menken is the composer of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors and more. Lyricist Lynn Ahrens' projects include Ragtime, Seussical the Musical, Dessa Rose, Once On This Island, A Man of No Importance and more.
The ASF creative team includes musical director Tom Griffin, costume designer Elizabeth Novak, scenic designer Paul Wonsek, lighting designer Phil Monat, sound designer Richelle Thompson, assistant musical director Carolyn Violi, stage manager Tanya J. Searle, assistant stage manager Scott Pegg, production assistant Heather Newman and dance captain Nikol Wolf. Casting is by Elissa Myers Casting, Paul Fouquet, CSA.
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| Rodney Clark with Mary Cate Norris |
The cast of A Christmas Carol: The Musical includes ASF favorite Rodney Clark as Ebenezer Scrooge; plus Ashley Anthony, Jessica Azenberg, Jessica Blair, James Bowen, Cory Coleman, Hailey Covington, Sandy Draper, Liz Eckert, Emma Grant, Paul Hopper, Naden Kreitz, Matt Leisy, Adam Lendermon, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Lauren Ann Martin, Jackson Massey, Ivory McKay, Seth Meriwether, Meegan Midkiff, Mary Cate Norris, Patti Perkins, Hayden Pruett, Michael Ramey, Will Ray, Matt Renskers, Rebecca Rich, Ashley Rivers, Chris Roe, Matthew Sailors, Billy Sharpe, Crispin South, Greg Spradlin, Eric Theilman, Mary Allison Tyner, Danny Vaccaro, Patrick Vest, Sam Walker, Victoria Webb, Nikol Wolf, Mark Woodard and Jarrod Yuskauskas.
Tickets are available by calling the ASF box office toll free at (800) 841-4273 or by visiting www.asf.net.