By Jane Primerano
The musical version of A Christmas Carol at Centenary College is a great way to kick off the holiday season.
It opened on Friday, Nov. 29, to a packed and enthusiastic house.
An exuberant ensemble greets the holiday season with production numbers that break up the plot of the Dickens classic with over-the-top routines expertly choreographed by director Michael Restaino.
Scrooge’s transformation is subtle, moved first by Megan Schmeidhauser as a ghost of Christmas past in a frothy blue gown and glitter. Not to mention sparkly go-go boots. She shows him the young Ebenezer and the fun of the Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball. He courts the lovely Emily but loses her to his obsession with accumulating money.
Adrianna Cacioppo (above, with Michael Fleischer) channels a pretty good witch as well as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. She takes Scrooge to his own gravestone which bothers him less than the death of Tiny Tim.
Noel Pepin embodies a bright and cheerful Tim and demonstrates a fine, developing singing voice.
The entire cast, made up of professionals, Centenary students and kids from the Young Performers Workshop, is a triple threat of singing, dancing and acting.
Performances for A Christmas Carol run through Dec. 15 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center.
For information on times and tickets, contact the Centenary Box Office at 908-979-0900 or click HERE to order tickets online.
