“A Christmas Carol: The Musical" at the Spotlight Theatre -- December 1 through 10.
Friday, December 1, through Sunday, December 10
The Spotlight Theatre, 1800 Seventh Avenue, Moline IL
Lauded by Theatre Reviews Limited's Carolyn Albert as "the sort of grand spectacle that leaves us with our eyes wide open and our mouths agape," a delightful take on Charles Dickens by Tony Award winners Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens arrives in the Spotlight Theatre's December 1 through 10 run of A Christmas Carol: The Musical, with Albert adding that this yuletide family treat is "a magnificent way to celebrate the season with loved ones."
As most theatre and literature fans know, A Christmas Carol's Ebenezer Scrooge is a prosperous curmudgeon who believes that personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others. With an infuriated "Bah, humbug!", Scrooge summarizes his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving. Yet he's forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts on Christmas Eve lead him through his past, present, and future. Thanks to their guidance, Scrooge begins to recognize his faults learn the value of reconnecting and sharing love with those that mean the most to him, while the Spotlight's holiday production brings out all the charm of Dickens' novel in its score by Tony winners Menken (Newsies) and Ahrens (Ragtime.)
Directing A Christmas Carol: The Musical is longtime Spotlight veteran Adam Sanders, who recently starred as Dewey in School of Rock: The Musical and was an equal audience favorite in productions including The SpongeBob Musical, The Hunchback of Note Dame, and The Wedding Singer. Portraying Scrooge in the Spotlight's production is Doug Alderman, who also appeared in the venue's School of Rock: The Musical, and was the leg-lamp-winning Old Man in last year's presentation of A Christmas Story: The Musical. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future are respectively played by Melodie Hoffman, Sara Wegener, and Marissa Pedersenr, with additionally familiar Dickens characters enacted by Jake Wirz (Bob Cratchit), Amelia Fischer (Mrs. Cratchit), Noah Hill (Jacob Marley) Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig (Matthew Downey and Becca Meumann Johnson), and Cooper Tubbs (Tiny Tim).
Completing the ensemble for A Christmas Carol: The Musical are nearly two dozen additional area talents: Ted Brown; Dalton Carls; Antonio Casas; Topher Elliot; Craig Gaul; Audrey Hotle; Anna Kabala; Tim Knipper; Addison Kopp; Ari Kulhavy; Michael Lotspeich; Heather Lueder; Grace Ronnebeck; Charlie Seneli; Emma Terronez; Lesley Webster; Amber Whitaker, Grace Wiborg; Meyer Wikoff; and Kylie Wise.
A Christmas Carol: The Musical runs in Moline from December 1 through 10, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $20-25, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)912-7647 and visiting TheSpotlightTheatreQC.com.
