Scrooge (musical)

Scrooge
The Musical
Music	Leslie Bricusse
Lyrics	Leslie Bricusse
Book	Leslie Bricusse
Basis	Scrooge (1970 film) and Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Productions	1992 Birmingham 1993 Melbourne 2004 Chicago 2005 West End 2012 West End revival

Scrooge: The Musical is a 1992 stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.^[1] Its score and book are closely adapted from the music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film Scrooge starring Albert Finney. Bricusse was nominated for an Academy Award for the song score he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical.

Synopsis

Like the film, the musical closely follows the plot of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, in which the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of a Christmas Eve night, after being visited by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.

Productions

Leslie Bricusse spent several months with the director Bob Tomson adapting the screenplay for the stage. Tomson recommended appointing designer, Paul Farnsworth, to the team and established a Victorian theatre style for all the locations, illusions and characters. Initially the ghost illusions were entrusted to Paul Daniels, but he was replaced after the first production with Paul Kieve.

The original production starred Anthony Newley as Scrooge and opened on 9 November 1992 at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.^[2] The cast also included Stratford Johns, Tom Watt, Jon Pertwee and Jerome Wallington. The 2005 West End production at the London Palladium starred Tommy Steele in the title role. The musical was revived at London Palladium on 24 October 2012 with Steele reprising the role. It ran till 5 January 2013.^[3]

An Australian production featuring Keith Michell, Max Gillies, Tony Taylor and William Zappa, ran from November 1993 to January 1994 at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.^[4]

The American premiere opened on 26 October 2004 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre in Chicago. This production starred Richard Chamberlain in the title role.

It has also been performed by the Spring Lake Theater Company in Spring Lake, New Jersey, every Christmas season since 1982. Mark E. Fleming originated the production at Spring Lake and has staged the production at the Premier Theatre Co since its founding in 1987.

Another production of the show has been performed since 1982 by The Players Of Utica, located in Utica, New York. Director Peter Loftus has been the only director for the show during the entire run, which celebrated its 30th year in 2012. The production has become an annual community event during the holidays, in terms of both audiences and casts. The 2012 cast was one of the largest of its 30-year run, with over 250 members. The show regularly does a community performance for local schools and senior programs. Turnout for this annual performance has exceeded 1,500 students from area schools.

Characters

In order of appearance Scrooge Bob Cratchit Harry Bess Wine Merchant Mrs. Dilber Miss Dilber Bisset the Butcher Punch and Judy Man Beggar Woman Mr. Pringle Tom Jenkins Jocelyn Jollygoode Hugo Hearty Chesnut Seller Jacob Marley Phantoms Ghost of Christmas Past School Teacher Mr. Fezziwig Young Ebenezer Dick Wilkins Mrs Fezziwig Isabel

Ghost of Christmas Present Mrs. Ethel Cratchit Helen Topper Mary Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come Mrs. Pringle Children Tiny Tim Kathy Cratchit Peter Cratchit Belinda Cratchit Martha Cratchit Freddy/Ebby Georgina/Jenny Henrietta Nell/Maid Poppy Oscar Laurie Jack Isaac Maggie Kitty

Musical numbers

Act I "Sing a Christmas Carol" – Company "M.O.N.E.Y" – Scrooge "Christmas Children" – Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Kathy Cratchit and Company "Father Christmas"[5] – Tom Jenkins and Company "I Hate People" – Scrooge and Company "Make the Most of this World" – Jacob Marley and Phantoms "It's Not my Fault!" – Scrooge "Sing A Christmas Carol" (Reprise) – Scrooge and Children "December the Twenty-Fifth" – Fezziwigs and Company "Happiness" – Ebenezer, Isabel, Scrooge and Christmas Past "You...You" – Scrooge and Young Ebenezer "Love While You Can" – Christmas Past "It's Not My Fault" (Reprise) – Scrooge "I Like Life" – Christmas Present, Scrooge and Company

Act II "The Milk of Human Kindness" – Scrooge and Company "The Beautiful Day" – Tiny Tim and Cratchits "The Minister's Cat" – Company "Happiness" (Reprise) – Scrooge "A Better Life" – Scrooge "Thank You Very Much" – Scrooge, Tom Jenkins and Company "The Beautiful Day" (Reprise) – Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit "I'll Begin Again" – Scrooge "Finale" – Scrooge and Company "I'll Begin Again" (Reprise) – Scrooge and Company "Curtain Calls" – Company "Thank You Very Much" (Reprise) – Company

References

1. Bricusse, Leslie; Mark St Germain; Charles Dickens (1998). Scrooge (libretto). Published by Samuel French, Inc.,. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
2. "Scrooge". Musical Heaven. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
3. Tommy Steele brings Scrooge back to Palladium from 24 Oct
4. https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/20791
5. "Scrooge!". Scrooge!. Samuel French. Retrieved 10 December 2015.