HACKETTSTOWN — A Christmas Carol: The Musical, returns to the Centenary Stage Company this season to run Nov. 29 through Dec. 15 in the Sitnik Theatre. Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic comes to life as a musical extravaganza in the Sitnik Theater of the David and Carol Lackland Center in Hackettstown.
This tale gets the full Broadway treatment by the Broadway team of Alan Menken ("Beauty and the Beast," "Little Mermaid,"), Lynn Ahrens ("Ragtime," "Seussical") and Mike Okrent ("Crazy For You," "Me and My Girl").
Directed by Broadway veteran, Michael Blevins, A Christmas Carol features a cast of 65 actors, young and old, hailing from New York and New Jersey. Osborn Focht returns to the CSC stage in the lead role of “Scrooge.” Focht is best known for his appearance in Paul Simon’s "The Capeman" on Broadway, and as Benny Andersson in "Kristina" at Carnegie Hall.
Other returning performers include last season’s lion from "The Wizard of Oz," Jeremy Hilgert. The cast of A Christmas Carol will also feature students from the Centenary College Theatre Department, as well as the state-acclaimed CSC Young Performers Musical Theatre program and local performers from the region.
“This production celebrates everything theatrical here at Centenary, and is our homage to this amazing new facility and its benefactors,” said General Manager Catherine Rust.
Performances for A Christmas Carol are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Wednesdays Dec. 4 at 2 p.m., and Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. (school matinee), with an additional preview matinee on Friday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $27.50 for adults on matinees and Fridays and $29.50 on Saturdays with discounts for seniors, students and children under 12. Thursday evening tickets are $27.50 with a two-for-one family night discount when purchased at the door.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.centenarystageco.org, at the CSC box office in The Lackland Center at 715 Grand Ave in Hackettstown, or by calling 908-979-0900. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday 1 to 5 p.m., and two hours prior to performance times. CSC also operates a second box office during the season at 217 Main Street in Hackettstown open Monday through Friday 3 to 6 p.m.