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A Broadway Tradition Returns

A Broadway Christmas Carol returns to MetroStage and is fast becoming an annual tradition.

There is always A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, the Christmas Revels, and endless choirs, choruses and festivities. Years ago Kathy Feininger decided audiences needed an alternative to the usual fare and created what is now A Broadway Christmas Carol, a delicious parody of the famed story but with a twist. It is told by only three actors (and a pianist) through a little narration and a lot of familiar Broadway show tunes, all adapted for the story with a minor adjustment of the lyrics—yet all highly recognizable tunes for the Broadway aficionado. It has been performed worldwide and returns to MetroStage this season after a triumphant run last year.

Imagine the Cratchits singing “(This was a Real Nice) Puddin’” (think the Clambake in Carousel) or Tiny Tim singing “(I’m Going to Walk) Tomorrow” (from Cats). Jacob Marley sings “Turn Back Old Man” from Godspell, and the cast ends with a rousing “Ebenezer” to the tune of Oklahoma! Other familiar titles include songs from Avenue Q, Sweet Charity, The Fantasticks, Les Miz, Beauty and the Beast, and many more.  It is great fun but never strays from the message that Charles Dickens intended in his story. Scrooge finds redemption and the holiday tradition continues. A Broadway Christmas Carol is in performance at MetroStage through Dec. 18.

Notes from the Producing Artistic Director
by Carolyn Griffin
Michael Sharp returns to MetroStage as Scrooge in the holiday show A Broadway Christmas Carol

Imagine directing, choreographing, and playing a lead role, in addition to helping with props and costumes. That is what Michael Sharp is doing at MetroStage right now in A Broadway Christmas Carol. Michael, who now lives in Covington, Virginia, has returned to the Washington DC theatre scene to a role that he has played many times before. Michael played Scrooge on the stage at Round House Theatre for three years in the early ‘00’s. He most recently directed the show and played Scrooge at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg, West Virginia last Christmas.

Michael has a longstanding relationship with MetroStage. When the Duke Street theatre was demolished in 1996, he joined the cast of Side by Side by Sondheim when a homeless MetroStage performed  in the Marquis Lounge (remember Mrs. Foggybottom?) at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. He received a Helen Hayes nomination for his role. He then returned to MetroStage in 2001 to headline the opening production of the new theatre in its current location on Royal Street. Appropriately, it was a cabaret called Starting Here, Starting Now!

Other Washington credits are Grand Hotel (Helen Hayes Award) and Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre, and Pippin at Round House. He is also a cabaret singer and can be counted on to perform one of his signature songs, Sondheim’s Being Alive, at MetroStage cabarets. MetroStage welcomes an old friend back to our stage and is delighted that the old curmudgeon Scrooge finds redemption by the end of the show! A Broadway Christmas Carol is becoming a holiday tradition at MetroStage and will run through December 18.

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C. Stanley Photos