The_Last_Christmas

The holidays are here again! But is that any reason for another production of A Christmas Carol? Brodwyn Branson, the Scrooge-like director of a local children's theatre, certainly doesn't think so. But without the green it brings in, his little drama company would be in the red! Still, Branson can barely conceal his contempt for the whole affair. But just as Branson's humbug-ish attitude is beginning to rub off on his young actors and threatens to ruin the show, he is visited by a series of Christmas spirits, including his former agent, an acid-tongued drama critic, and an Elvis impersonator whose specialty is smelling like The King. Subjected to an eye-opening tour of his own life, Branson comes to understand that the message of the classic Dickens tale is every bit as relevant today as it ever was. And, miraculously, the kids pull the show together in the nick of time. A witty script, delightful characters, and unforgettable songs make The Last Christmas Carol the perfect show to put any Scrooge in the holiday spirit!

Bare stage w/props. Approximate running time: 2 hours. Cast: 11m., 11w. (22 to 40 or more-approximately half m., extras, chorus. Doubling possible.

David Meyers (book & lyrics) lives in Columbus, Ohio, where, to quote James Thurber, "almost anything is likely to happen, and in which almost everything has." The idea for The Last Christmas Carol popped into Meyers' head while he was watching his 13-year-old daughter and her friends valiantly rehearsing a rather lackluster version of A Christmas Carol. Thinking he could do something more interesting with the Dickens tale, he wrote the book and lyrics over the next couple of months, then enlisted his friend Scott Michal to compose the music. The show was staged in the same theater the following Christmas and taped for broadcast on local television.

Scott Michal (music) lives in the Appalachian foothills of Southeastern Ohio, in a home he largely built himself. A former cellist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, he has been a composer-in-residence at the Ariel Cultural and Performing Arts Center. His works have been performed by the Naples Philharmonic, Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, the Minneapolis Sinfonia and the Ohio Valley Symphony and are available through Willis Music, ALRY and the Naragon Press. Since he and David Meyers first met , they have co-written two cantatas, several choral pieces, a requiem and numerous songs.

The Last Christmas Carol has been performed at:

The Davis Discovery Center (Columbus, Ohio); Licking County Players (Newark, Ohio); Community Recreation Center (Schaumburg, Illinois); The Circle Theatre (Barnwell, South Carolina); Nelson County High School (Bardstown, Kentucky); Old Schoolhouse Players (Washington, Pennsylvania); Beverly Arts Center (Chicago, Illinois); Athens Little Playhouse (Athens, Georgia); Carrollton Parks and Recreation Center (Carrollton, Georgia); The Magic Playhouse (Boulder, Colorado); Castle Craig Players (Meriden, Connecticut); Possum Point Players (Georgetown, Delaware)

What the reviewers are saying:

"No Christmas is complete without the old traditions, but it is fun to see them set on their ear as is done in this enjoyable performance . . . " Marty Morrison, The Newark Advocate

"It's exactly what we need here on the South Side with its perfect combination of family tradition and inventive hilarity. . . a brilliantly funny version that just pokes a little fun our way. " Mike Nix, Daily Southtown

"With a title like that, I figured it would be kind of difficult to watch, regardless of how good the acting was. I was wrong. It was actually pretty funny and a little dark. Sure it was one of your typical heart- warmers, but it worked. . . The audience was really into it. Especially when 'Blue Christmas' (aka The Ghost of Christmas Never) took the stage. Good stuff." Chris McKay, photographer (Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Guitar World, etc.)

"Coming in a close second [to Christopher Durang's Mrs. Bob Crachit's Wild Christmas Binge} is Meriden's Castle Craig Players' staging of The Last Christmas Carol, an original musical about a jaded ex-actor charged with directing the Dickens chestnut at a children's theater. CCP is promising ghosts that take the form of an acerbic theater critic and an Elvis impersonator, and a song titled "Waste Not, Want Not" from the fictional director's preferred Christmas show, a musical about the Donner Party." William Squier, New Haven Advocate