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A Christmas Carol Reviews

Broadway ShowsPlaysHoliday & Christmas ShowsChristmas Carol

Average customer review: 2.5 star rating (2.7 Stars)

Number of reviews: 7

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5.0 star rating Beth De Jong from San Francisco, California

AN OLD CLASSIC REVIVED WITH MODERN TWIST

I am just in awe. As a theater junkie I jumped at the opportunity to go to a play and when this opened I thought , oh well, have seen it a dozen times, but it’s a play. BUT wait. A whole new interpretation. With more character development. And oh my. Timmy. A surprise you won’t want to miss. This is a MUST. No old white man in a kerchief in bed visited by ghosts. It was. Amazing!!! I want to go again!!!

5.0 star rating Jack p from Los Angeles, California

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS GREAT SHOW!

This show is amazing and so much fun! The actors and the whole performance was amazing. The play has so much going on and the depth has been captured in the chemistry between Scrooge and Bell. I especially liked Sarah Hunt as Belle. She made me cry and laugh. The depth of her acting is something I haven’t seen in a very long time. Scrooge Was great. Loved Tiny Tim. Basically it’s a show for all the family and it’s just a fun heartwarming show I highly recommend it. Just what we need in these uncertain chaotic times. This is a perfect Christmas classic with audience participation, and just so much fun!

3.0 star rating Steve Bloom from Los Angeles, California

AN INTERESTING TAKE ON A CLASSIC

Overall, I felt that the performance was entertaining. It had a clear "woke" atmosphere with a highly diverse cast and somewhat over the top bashing of poor Ebenezer. I was impressed with the creativity of the story line as it diverged from the traditional performances on screen. the cast was talented and gave a heartfelt tenor to the whole thing. I did, however, feel that certain [performers needed to modulate their voices and not shout so much.

2.0 star rating Rowan Jorgensen from Los Angeles, California

GREAT LIGHTING - WHAT ABOUT THE STORY?

Apparently, someone thought they could write a better Christmas Carol than Dickens. I’m all for a great re-invention, but not one that ditches Dickens’ amazing language as well as much of the timeless and incredibly relevant message of this story. What I saw looked like a - albeit beautifully lit - skit by a bunch of people trying to remember the story from when they saw it years ago. The changes didn’t illuminate. Making Fezziwig an undertaker didn’t reveal the story in a deeper more modern way. It was just different. I was not alone in my feelings as I left the theatre. Many around me echoed them. Too bad to have that platform to share a timeless story with so much to say about our current climate and then not do it.

2.0 star rating Stephen Whitehead from San Francisco, California

MORALIZING APPLIED WITH A BULLDOZER COMPRISES OVERALL PRODUCTION

Charles Dickens wrote his moralistic ghost story because of the appalling conditions of underprivileged children in 19th century London. The original novella's success is because the main character Ebenezer Scrooge, an amoral miser, and the audience/reader learn why we must take better care of those around us. Scrooge’s “lessons” succeed mainly through the visits of three ghosts who take him on fantasy journeys, but admonish him only infrequently. But this production changes much of the dialogue and scenes to apply the moralistic message with multiple sledge hammers. While the staging and music were none-better, characters scold Scrooge, diminishing the entire message. For example Scrooge's casket is brought forth during the Ghost of Christmas Future (who becomes his dead sister Fran), and important characters shame him about his faults. By the ghosts and other characters frequently criticizing Scrooge, the message became too maudlin and overlong. It's too much; I get it.

1.0 star rating Jesse J from San Francisco, California

TRAVESTY REWRITE

They completely ruined the traditional story. This rewrite of the classic was poorly conceived and a complete disappointment to both me and my companion. It was so poor that we left in the middle of the first act. This, combined with the total degradation of San Francisco, made for a waste of several hours of out day. If you are a traditionalist Christmas Carol enthusiast, do not waste your time and money.

1.0 star rating Emma Peet from Los Angeles, California

NOT CREATIVE AND INCREDIBLY BORING

I have seen many version of this play throughout the years all over America and I have never seen such a poorly done version of A Christmas Carol. The set design was the same throughout the entire show with no props besides a bunch of boxes stacked on top of each other. The ghosts are just three different women in the same dress, no amazing costumes just a raggedy stitched dress. The writing drones on and adds no interesting personality to any of the characters. The point of A Christmas Carol is that it's spooky. This was just plain boring. Don't waste your money.

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