A Christmas Carol

Nineteenth-century London comes to life in Jerry Patch's delightful adaptation of Dickens' timeless classic along with Tiny Tim and the Cratchit family, the Fezziwigs, the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and yet-to-come, and of course Ebenezer Scrooge. "There was the distinct sound of sniffles from the audience Thursday night at South Coast Repertory when Ebenezer Scrooge paid a visit to the Cratchit family. Now a cynic might say, 'Bah What do you expect? It's the flu season.' But then, a cynic has no business at A CHRISTMAS CAROL in the first place. This familiar story demands the conviction that the spirit of Christmas can transform even the hardest of hearts. Dickens staked out this territory long ago, and the production at South Coast Repertory embraces it with a wash of warm sentiment, good cheer and ingenious invention. But first it has to earn that pesky conviction, and it does. The adaptation by Jerry Patch captures both the shadow and light in Dickens's story." -Cathy de Mayo, Los Angeles Times