Charles Dickens' classic 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).
Called by The New York Times "a tonic for adults, and for children a transfixing journey," this spectacular musical extravaganza ran for ten years at Madison Square Garden, complete with falling snow, exuberant dances by famed choreographer Susan Stroman, flying ghosts and a magnificent set which recreated the streets, graveyards, homes and buildings of Dickensian London. In 2004, this version became the basis of an NBC Hallmark Entertainment special (teleplay adaptation by Lynn Ahrens) featuring Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge, and an array of stars including Jason Alexander, Jesse L. Martin, Jane Krakowski, Geraldine Chaplin, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ruthie Henshall. But even without starry casts and spectacular trappings, this A CHRISTMAS CAROL retains its emotional power and pure joy, thanks to the marvellously-told story by Ockrent and Ahrens, and the Menken/Ahrens score filled with beautiful melodies and emotional lyrics. In fact, their song "A Place Called Home" has become a holiday standard.