Back again after a successful run in 2022, ‘A Christmas Carol Comedy’ has returned to Hedgerow Theatre for another holiday season. This fan-favorite show features playwright Katie Leamen’s “fun and festive” adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ directed by Pete Pryor featuring performing veterans and regional favorites Brian Anthony Wilson and Christopher Patrick Mullen.
“It brings me immense joy to see ‘A Christmas Carol Comedy’ so warmly received by the team at Hedgerow Theatre and the larger community that supports this historic company,” said Leamen in a statement.
Leamen continued: “Last year’s American premiere was a huge gift; but for that excellent production to sell out, extend, sell out again, and then be welcomed back for a second season is the stuff of dreams. Like Scrooge, every visit with these wise and mischievous ghosts cracks open my mind and heart a little wider, to see the world a little more clearly to where hope, joy, humor, and generosity can best serve.”
The show follows the popular Charles Dickens tale featuring Ebeneezer Scrooge as he’s visited by three ghosts around Christmas time. Brian Anthony Wilson will be stepping into the role of Scrooge, while Christopher Patrick Mullin will step into the role of well, everyone else.
“I got my Equity Card portraying the Ghost of Christmas Present in ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1996 and I have seen many different versions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Hedgerow, usually on Christmas Eve, kind of a tradition,” said Wilson in a statement.
“So now, playing Scrooge at Hedgerow, working with Pete Pryor and Christopher Patrick Mullen, two phenomenal artists that I admire greatly, feels ‘full circle.’ I am beyond thrilled”
Mullen echoed Wilson’s sentiments as well: “It’s a blast to rehearse and perform. Hedgerow audiences couldn’t get enough of this hilarious little holiday gem last holiday season; many of them returned a second and a third time. Me too, I want seconds, and this time I’m coming back with the BAW [Brian Anthony Wilson].”
‘A Christmas Carol Comedy’ is currently on the stage at the popular PA Theatre Company and will run until Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, with Sarah Stryker and Lily Fossner as Scenic Designer and Lighting Designer, Jamel Baker as Sound Designer, Elizabeth Hanson as Costume Designer and Susan Wefel as Props Coordinator. Ali Caiazzo will take on the role of Stage Manager and Kate Fossner is on board as production manager for this go-around as well.
Tickets run for $20-35, plus fees, and are available online.
As the release notes, the show also includes a lobby display featuring an exhibit of winter-themed artwork by students from the School in Rose Valley, and pre-show gatherings and receptions, plus music in the lobby by folk duo “Last Chance” and other musicians throughout the run.
“Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a beloved story about redemption and the opportunity and responsibility of learning how-to live-in celebration with humanity,” finishes director Pete Pryor in a statement. “It has been celebrated and presented in myriad forms for ages but it could not be more relevant in our current time. I am excited about this opportunity to explore these most important themes with two wonderful actors and our great creative team.”
To learn more information about Hedgerow Theatre (64 Rose Valley Rd, Media, PA) and their production of ‘A Christmas Carol Comedy’, visit hedgerowtheatre.org
