Menken/Ahrens A CHRISTMAS CAROL

I have been slightly obsessed with this recording since first hearing it many, many years ago. I've seen the show a few times: Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California (south of San Francisco) produces a charming free production every December. This could all stem from the fact that A Christmas Carol is my favorite classic novel, the "if you were on island with only one book" selection for me. The themes of compassion, charity, forgiveness and redemption and that it is never too late to change and become a better person resonates due to a family issue that was resolved happily long ago. I like the backstory Menken/Ahrens gave to Ebenezer, and love the plot device where Scrooge encounters the Three Ghosts in London before Christmas Eve. I listen to the recording all year long actually! I thought the Kesley Grammar teleplay was very good, too. Anyway, just been thinking about this show more this time of year of course. Any other fans of the show here? 

On my iPhone, I actually have a playlist that combines tracks from the 1994 original cast recording and the 2004 TV movie soundtrack.

It's a nice show, but the TV movie was wretched.

This is it. The Menken/Ahrens musical played, I believe, nine years consecutively at the theatre at Madison Square Garden. F. Murray Abraham was the final Scrooge. And I agree, "A Place Called Home" is probably my favorite Christmas song of all time. I just adore it.

Love the score, and the TV film came right around when I was getting hardcore into musicals so it has a special place i my heart.

I wonder if this could be a possible choice for a live TV musical. Sure, this adaptation may not be the most famous, but at least everyone knows A Christmas Carol. I think they would also need the right cast to create some excitement around it.

I will never see a musical more than I have seen A Christmas Carol at Notre Dame University in Belmont, California. That's where I live, and we got to see many friends and their children and random people we started to think of as friends in the production every year. By the second year I saw it, they had switched to the Menken/Ahrens version. Sadly, last year was the final one at Notre Dame. Live theater is an endangered species.

It's a real loss for our little town. And for me. I know that show as well as any musical I've ever seen, and it always made me happy. It feels strange and a bit empty to realize that I won't be seeing it next week or the week after.

The musical itself isn't perfect, but I never thought of it as something that has to be perfect. It's community theater! It was fun to see all the little changes made, the new performers, the switched parts. But the songs are underrated, or maybe I'm just a softie. I'm not sure I would enjoy another production as much without all the familiar faces. I debated seeing another version this year but thought it would make me feel a little sad. 

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "I wonder if this could be a possible choice for a live TV musical. Sure, this adaptation may not be the most famous, but at least everyone knows A Christmas Carol. I think they would also need the right cast to create some excitement around it.

 

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Great idea Jefferey!!!

It worked so well as a huge show. It's perfect for a live version.

And I'll say it again, the score is marvelous.