The Charles Dickens holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, comes to life on the Sunrise stage as a live 1940s radio broadcast, complete with vintage commercials and the magic of live sound effects.
Performances are Saturday and Sunday, November 28 & 29 and are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pinehurst Charitable Foundation – Paul Bride Fund.
An ensemble of extremely talented local actors will bring dozens of characters to the stage, as the familiar story unfolds. Local performers include Randy Merritt, Dustin Bonecutter, Collin Conway, Jamie Barnes, Jordan Cranford, Hannah Daniels, Zoey Furie, Fritz Barnes, and Isabelle Toepher. The show is directed by the Sunrise’s own House Managers – Claire Sellers and Killian Poplyk.
A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843 and was sold out by Christmas Eve. Publishers scrambled to meet demand and the novel has never been out of print since. The Charles Dickens’ novel describes the transformation of an aging, miserly, miserable man into a kinder, gentler human being.
On Christmas Eve, the ghost of Scrooge’s business partner Marley, who had been dead for seven years, visits Scrooge to warn him of the spirits that will visit him that night – the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Marley warns Scrooge of what will become of him if he fails to learn from the spirits and change his ways.
As in many of Dicken’s stories, the key themes of A Christmas Carol are the treatment of the poor and the ability of a selfish man to redeem himself. Charles Dickens’ own father was sent to a debtors’ prison when Dickens was a child. At the age of 12 he was forced to quit school and work in a rat-infested factory. The experience impacted his life and found its way into several of his stories.
The Sunrise Theater’s live performance of A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend with two performances inside the Sunrise Theater on Saturday and one outdoor performance at the Sunrise Outdoor Theater on Sunday. Tickets may be purchased in advance online or by calling the Sunrise Theater on 692-3611. Remaining tickets will be available 30 minutes before each performance.
Masks are required to enter the indoor theater and must be worn throughout the performance. Concessions will not be available at indoor performances. Masks are also required at the outdoor theater but may be removed while seated in assigned circles. Masks must fully cover nose and mouth. Face shields may be worn but only with a face mask in place.
As with all recent shows inside the Sunrise, only every third row will be used, and three empty seats will be left between groups. All families/groups will be seated on an aisle with plenty of room to social distance from all other groups.
During the performances, all common areas will be repeatedly cleaned and disinfected. After each performance, the auditorium is cleaned and disinfected including seats and armrests. Special filters have been added to the Sunrise’s HVAC system to further improve the air quality.
For more information on the performance, tickets, or safety measures at the Sunrise Theater, please call 910-692-3611 or email [email protected].
Contributed.
