This story originally aired during Morning Edition on 12/14/14.
"Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. "Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade.” - Charles Dickens
The Forum Theatre Company of Wichita is presenting their annual musical, A Christmas Carol. The cast, crew, musicians and writers are local and, as KMUW’s Aileen LeBlanc found out, even Charles Dickens might like this one.
In 2011, Kathy Page Hauptman realized that most major metropolitan cities had an annual Christmas musical offering. It got her thinking that Wichita needed one too. She was a lover of Dickens' classic novel and was thinking of doing an adaptation of A Christmas Carol with a bit of music thrown in. She approached composer Paul Jackson and writer Conrad Jestmore. It was summertime, but within two months the three had a splendid winter tale with a full blown score.
Video by Aileen LeBlanc.
Chelsey Moore and Shaun Michael Morse in Rehearsal at the Scottish Rite Center.
Video by Aileen LeBlanc.
Brooklynn Profit (Tiny Tim) rehearses her Christmas song as the play prepares for the opening.
The 2015 production of A Christmas Carol opens Thursday, Dec. 10, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 19. The full cast list is below:
(in order of appearance)
Shoppers……….Ted Dvorak, Beki Keraly
Holly Girl and Shopper …………..Alison Bridget Chambers, CL Smet
Carolers………….Erin Mundus, Rose Palmer, Christina DiMattia, Gabbie Miller
Cratchit ……..Aaron Profit
Mrs. Cratchit……….Sunsiere Lee
Tiny Tim………..Brooklynn Profit
Martha Cratchit ……….Lauren Eckels
Cratchit Children………..Tamara Butler, Jaylan Watkins
Beggars ……….Earl Martling, Andrew Horning Scrooge …………..Shaun Michael Morse
Caroline………………CL Smet
Husband…………….Andrew Horning
Defense Solicitor………………Jerry Wehry, Mike Shyrock
Fred……………..Ted Dvorak
Marley …………….Dennis Arnold
Ghost of Christmas Past…………….Meg Parsley
Young Scrooge/Teen Scrooge/Ebbenezer……………….Andrew Horning
Fan……………Rose Palmer
Fezziwig…………..Ted Woodward
Mrs. Fezziwig……………Erin Mundus
Dick Wilkins…………..Ted Dvorka
Belle…………… Beki Keraly
Ghost of Christmas Present…………….Karla Burns*
Fred’s Wife……………..Alison Bridget Chambers
Party Guests……………..Ted Woodward, Christina Dimattia, CL Smet, Jerry Wehry
Ghost of Christmas Future…………Jerry Wehry
Joe The Ragpicker…………..Ted Woodward
Mrs. Dilbert……………Erin Mundus
Charwoman…………Alison Bridget Chambers
Third Rag Woman……………..CL Smet
Fat Man…………..Ted Dvorak
Thin Man…………… Mike Shryock
Businessmen…….Earl Marlting, Andrew Horning
Agnes………….Christine Dimattia
Child With Turkey……….Rose Palmer
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