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Wednesday, December 10, 2003 Dicken's Christmas Carol comes to life at PopejoyAlbuquerque Return to the cobblestone streets of Victorian London with a new musical adaptation of Charles's Dickens' A Christmas Carol as part of the Ovation Series in Popejoy Hall at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.
New music composed by Kevin Rotty, who created the original music for the national tours of A Legend of St. Nicholas and Miracle On 34th Street, enhances this timeless tale as the audience follows the soul-transforming journey of Ebenezer Scrooge, from miser to kind-hearted man. One of Charles Dickens's reasons for writing A Christmas Carol was to write a story on behalf of the "Poor Man's Child." Prompted by Parliamentary reports describing the sub-human working conditions of child labor and etchings of half-naked, seven-year-old children pulling ore cars through dark tunnels, he felt he must write a heart-warming story to inspire a broad audience with the spirit of Christmas. With this Christmas story, he hoped to foster charity towards all mankind. On Dec. 19, 1843, A Christmas Carol, in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas was born. Dickens intended for the story to be retold generation after generation, around the fire as a yearly reminder to treat others with charity and respect. A Christmas Carol is Dickens's most published work, be it in play form, readers' theatre, cartoon, opera or movie. A Christmas Carol was an immediate and enormous success. The first edition sold 6,000 copies on the exact day it was published, creating an instant hit. Troupe America's version of A Christmas Carol is a sparkling new musical. Superb sets have been specially designed by the celebrated scenic designer, Larry Kaushansky (formerly Lazar Michailovich Kaushansky), for many years Russia's reigning set- and costume-design genius. Kaushansky's work has appeared in cities throughout the world, including, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Budapest, Dallas, Minneapolis and, finally, Detroit, where his spectacular set for A Christmas Carol premiered in 1992. His design for this production was chosen by Theatre Craft Magazine in 1996 as one of the top set designs of the year. This same set design is used for the all-new touring musical production of A Christmas Carol, complete with special effects created by renowned magician Franz Harary. The script for A Christmas Carol has been adapted by Buffy Sedlachek, a prize-winning playwright of Minneapolis' famed Playwrights' Center. Sedlachek's numerous plays include Retribution Rag and Salvation, which were developed at Midwest Playlabs and subsequently seen at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Manhat-tan Class Company, Circle Repertory Company and the Denver Center Theatre, among others. Sedlachek has also adapted several children's plays: Sleeping Beauty, Heidi, Robin Hood and Little Women, which premiered at Child's Play Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This new adaptation of Dickens' timeless classic is produced by Troupe America Inc., now in its thirteenth season of producing for the touring theater market. Step into the past and lose yourself in a Victorian Christmas with Troupe America's version of A Christmas Carol. Tickets for A Christmas Carol are $35, $32 and $25. Patrons may purchase tickets through tickets.com at any tickets.com outlet. New Mexico tickets.com outlets are located at Raley's Supermarkets and Western Warehouse stores. Tickets are also sold at UNM Ticket Offices located at the UNM Bookstore and the UNM Arena (The Pit).
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