NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director Micah-Shane Brewer is bringing Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, to life in a brand-new adaptation. Audiences of all ages will be delighted by this heartwarming and spectacular production, which features stunning sets and costumes that transports them to Victorian England. We all know the spirited story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey of transformation and redemption–now you can experience it firsthand! Don’t miss this special holiday treat from Nashville Repertory Theatre. (December 1 – 17, 2023)
TRIBUNE: Micah, you are the author and director of this new adaptation. Tell us about this version.
MICAH: A Christmas Carol has always had this special place in my heart and has been a part of my personal holiday tradition since I was a kid. We wanted to produce a very traditional, large-scale production that would be like a holiday event for the entire family. I wanted the audience to just totally live fully immersed in the world of Victorian London. It took about three months to write the first draft of the script. As I was writing, I realized that we needed an opening number, so I wrote a song that we begin the show with. It kind of sets the tone and the mood for the entire show. It was so much fun to write, and so here we are.”
TRIBUNE: You mentioned that this is a large production. About how many cast members, including singers and dancers?
MICAH: We have 23 in the cast. Ranging from kids all the way up to adults. It’s a fantastic cast, with 15 songs. There are some new faces to the Rep stage, along with some seasoned actors that we’ve seen in other productions…
TRIBUNE: So, is Ebenezer Scrooge still “scroogeing” in this new adaptation?
MICAH: Yes, he is still ‘scroogeing” (he laughs). One of the things that I love about this story is its message of redemption and getting a second chance to make our lives better. This message is definitely evident in this version. In this adaptation, Scrooge goes through this transformation of finding love again, and finding joy in life. To see that transformation is a very important story to tell. It’s one of the most popular stories in the world. This is actually the 180th anniversary of Dickens writing this novel. He wrote it in 1843, and it has never gone out of print since the first time it was printed.
TRIBUNE: Where did you find all of the Victorian English costumes for such a large cast? Did you find all of the costumes here in town?
MICAH: We are making those costumes in-house. It’s over 300 costumes! Our production team is amazing. We have a scene shop and a costume shop. All of the sets and all of the costumes you will see on our stage are also made in-house. So, there’s a wide variety of different types of costumes. different styles and colors for the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future…The other thing I want to mention is about the numerous special effects within the show. There are different projections that are used in the show, and a lot of special effects with lighting, fog, haze, flying in the air scenes—especially for some of the ghost characters…
TRIBUNE: Are there many Nashvillian actors in the show or some from other cities?
MICAH: Everybody that you will see on the stage and off, are Nashvillians or people who live in this area. That’s what’s great about the Rep, we love to employ local professional artists who are just good at what they do.
For group ticket prices, contact TPAC Group Sales at groups@tpac.org or 615-782-4060. American Sign Language-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, December 9th at 2pm. https://nashvillerep.org/christmascarol
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