Scrooge- Leslie Bricusse

[DDdirector]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 3:04pm

Has anyone ever done the Leslie Bricusse version of Scrooge? I haven't read the script, but am contemplating directing it this December as a replacement show.
Is the book any good? I have the Newley cast recording and some of the songs (mainly the ones that are in the movie) are tuneful. Any feelings/thoughts/comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
-Dan

[cheezedoodle]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 3:08pm

Is this the stage version of the Albert Finney Film?

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 3:08pm

I did it, and it's a fun show. It has a pretty big cast.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 3:20pm

This was my first community theatre production ever...I actually had a pretty good time with it. There are a definitely a lot of roles to go around. The book can get a little tedious at times, but I remember the audience really enjoying the show.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 5:17pm

I like the Alan Menken/Lynn Ahrens "A Christmas Carol" a lot better then Leslie Bricusse's "Scrooge". The stage version, though, not the Kelsey Grammar film version. "A Place Called Home" is far more lyrical and hunting than anything in "Scrooge". It's just a more enjoyable show, in my opinion.

"Scrooge" has a lot of solo numbers for Ebenezer that are, for the most part, pretty interchangeable and rather pointless. It's one of those "star vehicle" writings that isn't really any good unless you have someone like Anthony Newley who's able to rise above the material.

[Craig]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:22pm

I did the the show way back and was Marley. Love the score to that one..

[justagirl2]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:31pm

CATS is right...I remember my dad saying he would demand his money back if he had to listen to Ebenezer sing one more song. But overall, it was pretty well received, and it certainly wasn't a great performance by any means. I think most audiences are willing to take that classic story in any way, shape, or form.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:37pm

I hated Albert Finney in the role, in the film; but, the score is okay, especially the song, A CHRISTMAS CAROL. If I were directing, I'd do A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL, instead.

[DDdirector]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:00pm

I was looking at "A Christmas Carol" but technically, vocally, it looks a lot more difficult for amateurs to carry off.
Any thoughts?

[alterego]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:05pm

They did a big production of this in Australia years ago. It died a death, well Christmas in winter with snow is unheard of in this country. We go to the beach at Christmas. All too foreign. It was ok, I seem to remember the only uptempo number was Thank You Very Much. The score was forgettable.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 10:20pm

Yeah, there's Thank You Very Much, December the 25th, even The Minister's Cat. But it is very forgettable.

[justagirl2]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 10:20pm

Yeah, there's Thank You Very Much, December the 25th, even The Minister's Cat. But it is very forgettable.

[jaesdare]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 10:25pm

i did it last year, hated it. it was so boring, and kinda dark. though i so much enjoyed flying, i was the ghost of christmas future.

[DDdirector]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 11:36pm

I Like Life is also an upbeat number from what I recall.

[colored by esteem]

Posted: 8/29/06 at 1:11am

The songs are amazing!!

What underrated music -
Beautiful, stirring, memorable, and extremely fun to sing!

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/29/06 at 1:27am

I love the score. One of my favorite film musicals ever, and a "must watch" every holiday season. I haven't seen the stage adaptation of it, but I bought the original London cast recording with Anthony Newley in the title role. The stage adaptation added quite a few new songs by Bricusse, none of which were up to the level of the original film's music. I think it threw the balance off a bit, as well.

And it's hard to imagine anyone filling Albert Finney's talented shoes with this part. It's an incredible performance for someone so young (at the time). Walking a fine line between comical, repulsive, evil and sad.

And the fact that Finney was able to play both the older Scrooge, and the young Scrooge in his own flash-backs. Incredible!

Updated On: 8/29/06 at 01:27 AM

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/19/06 at 12:47pm

Oh yeah, one of the best things I've done. I'm doing it right now in Staten Island. We don't resume performances until December 1st, but then there's two more and then that's it. The director is Norb Joerder (of the '92 Camelot revival), and stars Martin Van Treuren (from Broadway productions of "Singin' in the Rain" and "Jekyll and Hyde") as Scrooge. I love the score. My favorites are "A Christmas Carol," "December the 25th," and "I Like Life." I can't get "I Like Life" out of my head, but my dad will do anything to put "Thank You Very Much" back in it. I don't want him to until I do it on December 1st. It's such a good score.

Sorry, justagirl2, we cut "Minister's Cat" since it was part of a Dickens festival we were doing and we had to fit the time slots, so it's 90 minutes with no intermission now.