Church Hill, Maryland – Church Hill Theatre will be live streaming an acclaimed radio version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on the weekend before Christmas. With social distancing still in effect, this would make a marvelous gift for out-of-town friends and relatives, allowing us to virtually share a cherished experience. So add a log to the fire, make some cocoa, snuggle up, and revisit the Victorian world of Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.
While the Church Hill Theatre stage remains dark, its artistic community has worked hard to find Covid-appropriate ways to reach loyal supporters. They decided that the Orson Welles radio script of A Christmas Carol, first performed by the Mercury Theatre on Christmas Eve, 1939, would be their gift to the community. The ZOOM production will air at 8 pm on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19, with a matinee at 2 pm on Sunday, December 20. Tickets ($15) are available at the CHT website: www.churchhilltheatre.org
Ticket holders can “tune in” before the show to see rehearsal photos, actors’ headshots, sponsor credits, and other useful information about the production. Once the 60-minute broadcast starts, you will see only Scrooge’s front door and be asked to imagine a bleak Christmas Eve in London, with Scrooge tormented by the ghosts of past, present and future Christmases. As always, in this beloved story, Scrooge emerges a changed man, encouraging us all to embody the spirit of Christmas.
Kathy Jones is making her Church Hill Theatre directing debut, with support from an outstanding cast. The actors are: Narrator: Howard Mesick, Child’s voice/child/boy: Liam Wallace, Scrooge: Toph Wallace, Bob Cratchit: Robert McGrory, Fred: Connor Christopher, Gentleman 1: John Beck, Marley: Howard Mesick, Ghost of Christmas Past: Maya McGrory, Fezziwig: John Beck, Belle:
Sarah Wright, Belle’s husband: John Beck, Mrs. Cratchit: Sarah Wright, Martha: Haley Melton, Ghost of Christmas Present: Marcia Gilliam, Tiny Tim: Liam Wallace, and Gentleman 2/Young Scrooge: Connor Christopher.
The production team includes Kat Melton, Doug Kauffman, Michelle Christopher, Shelagh Grasso, Michael Whitehill, and Steve Atkinson. Corporate sponsors are Blue Crab Hearing Care, Chesapeake Benefit Services, Foam Works, Melton Technologies, ShoreToBeFun Photography, and Sullivan Financial.
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~ Church Hill Theatre