playbill vip

Merry Christmas… a bit early!
   Welcome to this special production of a true classic. From its 1843 debut as a novella by the beloved Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol has been a delightful favorite for readers and audiences of all ages.

   Personally, I LOVE DICKENS! I read his great works at home, teach them to my classes, watch the movie versions, and have directed quite a number. So far, there’s been drama versions of David Copperfield and Great Expectations (one each), three productions of the musical Oliver, and now five versions of A Christmas Carol! The unforgettable characters, the solid themes, the astonishing plot twists – you just can’t beat them!

   Christmas Carol was a great choice for this Phil-Mont year. With losing a week of school this fall due to roadwork, tackling a shorter novella adaptation was “doable.” But the music from Mr. Francoeur is also terrific, the characters matched well with the regulars of our program, and the happy-ending story is just what is needed in these troublesome days. And there are LOTS of roles for lots of talented students.

   Thank you to our administration for their support. Mrs. Liegel is a theatre person - and a devoted wife –so thank you! And Head of School Dolton, though a dyed-in-the-wool coach, also whole-heartedly supports the arts. Sharing the students as we do, we have all learned to work together for them to be able to try lots of things while here at the Academy. Thank you as well to the trio of talented, hard-working ladies who made this show possible – Mmes. Shaw, Modricker, and McCauley are the muses behind it all.

   Sit back and enjoy our retelling of this classic with its beautiful ballads, spooky spirit scenes, creative characters, jubilant dances, and a message that reminds us that love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness really do make life worth the living. Scrooge has three Spirits and a trip through time brings him to this realization. May you be brought to this by the Lord of the universe and His Infilling Spirit through Jesus Christ.

Will Liegel