A Christmas Carol Reviews

from New York, New York

CREATIVE NEW ADAPTATION

I saw the show in previews with my family. The new director has added some modern touches while keeping the overall story true to the original Dickens theme. The costumes were amazing and the special effects on stage were impressive. It is truLy an ensamble cast. I would recommend this show at McCarter 2022 to all!

Dickens fan from central Virginia

A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT THE MCCARTER, PRINCETON NJ 2022

I love Dickens' A Christmas Carol and re-read it every few years. I enjoy seeing different theatrical renditions. How will they convey the other worldly visitations? Is Scrooge believable? I LOVED this Ebenezer Scrooge and also in particular I was moved by this Bob Cratchit, the Christmas Past scene with Scrooge''s elder sister, and also Scrooge's nephew Fred & his wife: each showing their humanity, different fears, vulnerability, generosity, and their joy. I loved the storytelling, a nod to the adaptation and direction, with children throughout, each of the Christmas ghosts leading Scrooge farther into his own yearning to heal so he can feel his own abundance and share it. There are other delightful performances, too many to name. The ensemble tells this classic story well and in their own way. Go see it!

Anna from Washington, DC

A BEAUTIFUL NEW ADAPTATION

I've seen plenty of Christmas Carols over the years and this was a new favorite for me. I thought the actor playing Scrooge was wonderful - the right balance of gruff/mean while still having a believable transformation to loving Christmas at the end. Loved the reflection of the diversity of not only our own time, but Dickens' Victorian London as well. Jamaican Fezziwig!! <3 The snowglobe storyline was especially moving and I thought the way that Scrooge sort of "interacted" with the other actors in the past and present scenes, even though they couldn't see him, was very effective in showing how his attitude was affecting other people. Overall I really liked this production!

Mercer County, NJ from Princeton, NJ

YES - MCCARTER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL 2022

Beautiful adaptation, I highly recommend McCarter's 2022 production! I was personally moved by the Cratchit family (their overall love for each other,) the significance of Scrooge's loss in his sister and delighted by Scrooge's journey towards family, light, giving, and joy. Wonderful ensemble cast, and great children actors! This adaptation highlighted the prevalence and importance of first generation immigrants, thank you for including these voices, not to mention it better reflects the wonderful people who make up Mercer County.

Friends in two states from Virginia and Pennsyvania

LOVED THE 2023 A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT THE MCCARTER, PRINCETON NJ

Traveling from VA and PA to see Lauren Keating's adaption and production with Joel McKinnen Miller was worth the journey. Miller is a believably human, and, ultimately, lovable Scrooge. Great storytelling throughout - excellent performances embodying Dicken's characters, lots of Christmas music - joyful and foreboding. Outstanding party scene at Mr. Fessiwig's shop with surprising choreography supporting the narrative beautifully. The best Christmas morning when Scrooge first finds he has time to change the future -and interacts first with his housekeeper. His appearance in town made me laugh hard. When allowed to be heard Dickens is so very wise, full of heart... and funny. I cried four different times. It plays through two performances Christmas Eve.

Chris from New York, New York

A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT MCCARTER THEATRE

I thoroughly enjoyed this production. From the fine acting to the inventive staging, the play was completely entertaining. Especially notable was the actor portraying Ebenezer Scrooge. The young actors were talented and adorable. Really got me in the spirit of the season.

Anonymous from Princeton, NJ

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 2023, MCCARTER THEATER

This is a true redemption story! Last year I saw McCarter THeater's a Christmas Carol after 12 years since seeing it last. I knew that the show had changed from when I saw it as a child, and was greatly disappointed in the modern political overtones and lack of Christmas spirit. I am THRILLED to say that this year, 2023, the show has undergone a redemption akin to Scrooge. The show is punctuated with jolly (or creepy) settings of classic Christmas tunes, some special effects have returned from years past (such as a particular door knocker and Marley's chilling entrance). Although the show has a modern touch, it is not intrusive and my mate and I definitely considered it an upgrade from last year. 4 stars for the redemption. (5 if this is the status quo going forward). The show was warm, magical, and told Charles Dickens' story beautifully.

Evelyn from Kendall Park, nJersey

A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT MCCARTER

This was my first time seeing A Christmas Carol at McCarter. It felt very understated to me. I expected something more lively. I did not care for the portrayal of Mr. Scrooge. The character needed to be more intense and gruff. The singing was good and the children performed beautifully. If you like theater, it's worth seeing. Just don't expect a true Christmas feel from this production.

Ellen from New York, New York

CHRISTMAS CAROL 2022

I have seen and highly looked forward to this play in the beautiful Mc Carter Theater. It’s the annual highlight of our Christmas celebration! This production however was off. Besides Scrooge being played by a small woman , the play lacked its usual colorful characters. It lost the charm we all have come to love. It felt watered down , not the Dickens spirit in this one. Hopefully next year will see a return to the play we all love so much!

Jersey Girl from Middlesex County, New Jersey

A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN PRINCETON MCCARTER THEATER

Saw this show several years back at the McCarter Theater. It was magical and entertaining. I was excepting the same experience. Went to the Revised A Christmas Carol adapted and directed by Lauren Keating. It was a disappointment. The show lacked the Charles Dickens feel. The stage seemed blah and overall boring. I really hope they have someone new direct the play next year.

Laura from Lakewood, nj

CHRISTMAS MAGIC...GONE

This is the second time I have seen A Christmas Carol at Mccarter Theater. The last time was in 2019 and the vast difference between the two shows is horribly apparent. In 2019 carolers met you in the refreshment area to get you in the spirit prior to the show. That didn't exist this year and that really set my mood for the remainder of the night. The actors were not great. The accents were all over the place and made the setting of London not believable. I'm sorry, but while I thought the actor herself playing scrooge was good, Scrooge is simply not a woman. She wasn't as rude or as gruff as the character is supposed to be, either. Most of the actors were hard to understand at times or hard to hear. The beginning of the show starts with Ebeneezer being rude to his nephew and never sets the stage for the Kratchet storyline. The show itself felt rushed and you never have a chance to fall in love with the characters. It was far too modernized. There is more, but I am out of characters.

Thomas Leyhane from Ringoes, New Jersey

MCCARTER 2022 CHRISTMAS CAROL

Sadly, this was a thoroughly disappointing performance that lacked any of the warmth, talent and impact of past performances at McCarter. The actors seemed rushed and disinterested and casting Scrooge as a woman went so far beyond Dickens as to detract from the show. Props did not work (the appearance of Marley's face in the door knocker) and the thought that if the actor playing Scrooge simply said "Bah Humbug" enough times, there would be character development all left us befuddled. It was difficult to understand or hear the actors. Altogether, a poor performance by a cast seemingly just interested in getting it over with.

Brian Gibbs from New York, New York

REALLY SAD TO SAY

I’ve probably seen this 10 or 15 times in Princeton, and the first 10 to 12 times it almost left me in tears it was so moving. They change the scenery and some of them dialogue in an unfavorable way to three years ago, and I stopped going. I went again this year, and it got even worse. Many of the best things about the production and almost let me in tears were gone - knocker, angels, tombstone, amazing beautiful dance scene, ending scene ..etc. sadly, it felt a bit like McCarthy was trying to save money on the cast in the production. Finally, Scrooge is a fairly tepid. Woman is not a good fit for Scrooge sorry to say.

Dave from Mercer County New Jersey

CHRISTMAS CAROL REVIEW

This year’s rendition was no where near as good as previous years. Please bring back the show we all know and love!

from Solebury, PA

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 2022 -MCCARTER THEATRE

My family and I have been attending A Christmas Carol for the past 30+ years. We always look forward to attending the play, but this year’s production was a disappointment and the worst we have ever seen. The production was not only confusing and hard to follow, but the dialog was difficult to comprehend, and the cast simply did not gel. The actors were not believable, and this rendition was woke, modernized, and completely lacked the charm of previous performances. Thank you for ruining a classic.

A Christmas fan from Livingston, NJ

PLEASE BRING BACK THE 2016-2019 PRODUCTION

The show was disappointing, awkward & at times boring. We LOVED the production, script & cast 2016/17-2019. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Even the script this year was very lackluster. It was much better years ago - we would leave happy, inspired & excited to see it again, but not this time. The previous production felt like a step back in time from the opening song through singing "Deck the halls" at the end, it was so heartwarming, fun & beautiful! The actors were talented so nothing against them but some of the characters were awkward - Old Joe & Scrooge should've been older men - it would've fit better for this period piece & I'm an open minded liberal. Greg Wood was a fantastic Scrooge. We used to count down the days to watch this show every year, I don't know if we'll be back, which is so upsetting because McCarter's ACC was always our favorite. We'll be praying for a miracle for the previous production to return for 2023

CaptHistory from New Jersey

WHAT HAPPENED…?

I went to go see “A Christmas Carol” this year2022 and my disappointment is immeasurable. This show became a family tradition over the past 5 years and that tradition was ruined. It was not a true experience like they’ve had in the past. No Christmas carols, the adaptation went a little too far from the original story, and the actors performances did not live up to past years. Other people in the audience next to me were saying “what the heck is going on” or “This show is not what it was” during the actual performance. It took all of me not to just stand up and walk out. It is sad to see something that was so amazing and magical turn into this almost unwatchable product. If you are expecting an experience like past years, please save your money and hope next year they do the show like it was in the past.

A M from New York, New York

WORST PRODUCTION I’VE SEEN IN 37 YEARS

I am 42 years old and have been going to this play since I was 5. It’s been a tradition I now share with my kids. The play was the worst production yet. You cannot rewrite history and “modernize” a classic novel and play. My biggest issue lies with the overall production, lack of passion, humor, and the fact a woman played Scrooge made the character unbelievable. There was no rudeness or anger like we have seen in years past. No booming voice. All the characters fell flat. The accents were all over the place, making London not believable. The play was modernized by being almost all women for the cast, including 2 bisexual references (totally fine, not the story line). A line in Spanish by the Cratchet family (huh?) and when the female Scrooge gave Peter a job, she/he had to offer all the women a job, as Mrs Cratchet referenced earlier that she could also contribute to the household. This is supposed to be 1843, not 2022. Not the warm feeling the play has brought years past. Too “woke”

Paulette from Trenton, NJ

KILLING A CLASSIC

This A Christmas Carol was a MOST disappointing experience. It was a lackluster performance where Dickens message of social justice and redemption were so distorted. The direction was poor. Impactful scenes from the classic were omitted and modern references were interjected throughout making the play inconsistent. Where was the despicable Scrooge? Scenes from his past were watered down and had little impact on the character or the audience. This has been a tradition in my family for years. Each season we anxiously await our family outing to the theater. Each year, we’ve been transported back in time and have been drawn in to the story that we forget that these were actors in stage. Not this year. The emotions of greed, avarice, despair, fear, elation, joy, sorrow, etc were gone. Even Fezziwig’s Christmas party was flat. This play was once a truly joyous experience. This production preached to the audience and trashed the real message. What were you thinking? Tiny Tim a vet????

Seasoned Patron from Princeton, New Jersey

MCCARTER’S CHRISTMAS CAROL - HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING

I’ve gone to The Christmas Carol at McCarter for 15 years. This was by far the most disappointing year yet. The acting was flat for almost all actors. The story updates were distracting. If you are going to update a classic, update it completely and have MRS. Scrooge instead of a female actor strain her voice pretending to be Mr. Scrooge for 2 hours and 20 minutes. The Cratchet family refer to their children as El Niños and a hip hop dance off replaced the classic sing along of We Wish You A Merry Christmas as the finale. Many patrons complained on the way out. Many around us left at intermission due to disappointment. You cannot advertise a classic and show this adaptation. If this is the future of theater, it’s dead. Highly disappointed and hope next year returns to the more classic version. This is still possible while being inclusive.

Perennial Patron (strongly reconsidering) from Princeton

VERY DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE

I am 46 years old and have been going to this play since I was 7. It’s a tradition that typically sets the tone for our familiy's holiday. The play was the worst production I have seen at McCarter. I felt too much of the storyline was lost to introduce forced modern themes. The connection between Scrooge and Tiny Tim was competely lost. The chorus scenes lacked energy and the choreography was weak compared to previous years. The curtain call was terrible as the cast completely broke character to perform a half baked modern pop Christmas song. The whole production made little sense and if it doesn't change I'll be forced to look for another production in Philadelphia or New York next year. Why take such risks after people returned faithfully after 2 year hiatus due to Covid.

Disappointed in NJ from Ewing, NJ

A SHADOW OF ITS FORMER SELF

Just heartbroken by this new rendition. All the scenes that made you feel something have been taken away. I usually cry at least once and this didn’t happen. There’s no relationship between Scrooge and Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. Scrooge and Fran never have their intense scene together. There’s no huge redemption at the end as Scrooge seems softer already from the very first Spirit. What happened? Before Covid, this was the greatest theateical rendition of A Christmas Carol I ever saw… And now it just feels like any other play. Devoid of power. Fezziwig was barely a character. The juxtaposition of the character that usually plays Fezziwig and Old Joe wasn’t there—which was so symbolic. The actors themselves did wonderful with what was given to them but it’s such a shame this was what they had to work with. If this director does 2024 we’re sadly finding a new family tradition after all these years…

Johanna from New York, New York

NEW DIRECTOR 2022-2023, MAGIC AND QUALITY LOST

I have taken my family year after year to McCarter's A Christmas Carol as a magical tradition. With this dumbed down adaptation, the magic is lost. The costumes, choreography, music and special effects have been simplified, removed or cheapened. The deep dive into character development is gone. You do not need to "cater to children" to make it a spectacular family show. Children's intelligence always rises to the occasion. The show takes a tell, not show approach to communicate the themes. This led to a disconnect with identifying and understanding the character's motivations and you could not truly empathize with their plight or joy. In the future, please do not be afraid to showcase the more serious themes or scenes of the Dickens classic, rather than inserting your own writing. We really missed the quality that was present in older productions this year.

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