A CHRISTMAS CAROL to Return to the Stage at Theatre Calgary

Theatre Calgary is set to bring Calgary's festive tradition, A Christmas Carol, back to the stage starting on November 30. Now in its 35th year, their production of Charles Dickens' timeless tale of greed, ghosts, and redemption is a must in the annual holiday celebrations for thousands of families in their city.

This year, they are staging an abridged 75-minute adaptation by Calgary playwright Geoffrey Simon Brown that features a cast of three playing more than 25 characters. They will also be performing the show with two different casts, who will alternate performances throughout the run. As previously announced, their 'Holly' cast features Haysam Kadri as Scrooge (and others). Joining him on stage will be Jamie Tognazzini and Marshall Vielle, who were both a part of the 2020 production. Their second cast, the 'Ivy' cast, will feature Mike Tan as Scrooge (and others), along with Vanessa Leticia Jetté and Karen Johnson-Diamond.

"This year's production is, once again, a brand new 'Carol' that has never been performed in front of a live audience before," says Theatre Calgary Artistic Director and Carol director Stafford Arima. "Similar to last year's filmed version, this production boasts a small cast of brilliantly talented local actors, and a team of creative designers to bring a unique and intimate performance to our stage."

"As I began to craft this play into this intimate adaptation, it was important to me to lean into the theatricality of what we were doing: to invite the audience inside this story in a way they never have before," says playwright Brown. "I know that this play is a tradition for so many people and families in this city. I hope that this year's Carol can bring some normalcy to a very unfamiliar holiday season."

This year's production of A Christmas Carol once again is centred around the messages of hope, giving, and the betterment of others. This year's Carol will bring back important community initiatives such as Toonies for Turkeys and their Cool Yule evening. Toonies for Turkeys is the long-running audience fundraising initiative for the Calgary Food Bank, that has raised $2.2 million since 1997. Cool Yule (Nov. 27) is their annual performance in partnership with the Kids Cancer Care Foundation that provides a safe and exclusive dress rehearsal experience for families touched by childhood cancer.

Along with director Arima, the creative team for A Christmas Carol includes Jane MacFarlane (Assistant Director, Voice & Dialect Coach), Scott Reid (Set & Lighting Design), Deitra Kalyn (Costume Design), Allison Lynch (Musician, Composer & Sound Design), Jenna Rodgers (Dramaturg-Adaptation), Sara Turner (Stage Manager), Kennedy Greene (Assistant Stage Manager), and Emma Brager (Rehearsal Stage Manager).

A Christmas Carol runs Nov. 30-Dec. 24 in the Max Bell Theatre at Arts Commons. All performances begin at 7:00pm (evenings) and 2:00pm (matinees). Tickets start as low as $38 (previews Nov. 30-Dec. 1) and $48 (Dec. 2-24), and can be purchased at theatrecalgary.com. The official opening night for the show is Thursday, Dec. 2. For their updated safety, comfort and seating protocols, please visit theatrecalgary.com.

Theatre Calgary will also be offering the new Stafford Arima directors-cut of their 2020 online filmed production of A Christmas Carol from Dec. 2 -31. More information and purchasing options are available at theatrecalgary.com.

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