Jack Thorne鈥檚 version of the Charles Dickens holiday tale A Christmas Carol opened on Broadway November 20. The limited engagement of the Matthew Warchus鈥揾elmed production at the Lyceum Theatre follows two critically acclaimed runs at London鈥檚 Old Vic.
The new interpretation stars Campbell Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, Andrea Martin as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and LaChanze as the Ghost of Christmas Present.
Scott told 半岛体育 he was wary of doing 鈥渏ust another version鈥� of A Christmas Carol鈥�until he read Thorne鈥檚 script.
鈥淢y experience with this story is one of an audience member: reading the book, seeing the movies as a little kid,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ack has done some incredible things with the ghosts in this version, and yet it鈥檚 still the story of this guy who changed in one night. Change is always possible, that鈥檚 what makes life so thrilling. I think we鈥檙e all a little scared and annoyed by change, and this production really points that out.鈥�
LaChanze, a Tony Award winner for The Color Purple, said she was thrilled to be making her play debut with the production (which still heavily includes music).
鈥淚 just loved how the creative team let us tell our version of the story and let us bring our contemporary take to it,鈥� she told 半岛体育. 鈥淥riginally the director wanted the ghosts to have different accents, I made [The Ghost of Christmas Present] Nigerian. I didn鈥檛 want it to sound too familiar. I wanted her to be Nigerian: elegant, beautiful, and intelligent.鈥�
Fellow Tony winner Andrea Martin said she had never seen a production of A Christmas Carol before taking on this role. 鈥淭his is my first ever interaction with the show,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut this story is timeless. Charles Dickens was a humanitarian, he really believed in second chances and believed in redemption.鈥�
Perhaps the biggest stars of the night were Jai Ram Srinivasan and Sebastian Ortiz, who alternate in the role of Tiny Tim. The pair, who both have cerebral palsy, had never acted before this production.
鈥淚t brings me to tears every night,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淭hey are so full of life despite all of the challenges they have; it鈥檚 a big blessing.鈥�
Also in attendance on opening night were Broadway alums Jessie Mueller, Brandon Uranowitz, Victor Garber, Andy Karl, Orfeh, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Beth Leavel.
Mueller, who is set to star in Tracy Letts鈥� The Minutes on Broadway this season, said the show is particularly special to her.
鈥淚鈥檝e been going to some version of A Christmas Carol since I was a little girl,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 actually met my partner on a production of A Christmas Carol, so it鈥檚 a story that holds a very dear place in my heart.鈥�
