Alexandria — Everyone loves a tradition — especially a tradition around the holidays. Well, a tradition returns to MetroStage this month in the form of “A Broadway Christmas Carol,” our answer to Ford’s Theatre’s “Christmas Carol” and the multitude of “Nutcrackers” on stages everywhere. Our “Christmas Carol” is told with Broadway show tunes and has been a hit since it was developed at Round House Theatre in Maryland running for seven years before MetroStage grabbed the baton and is now presenting it for the third consecutive season.
MetroStage has twice produced another Broadway parody, “Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)” so Broadway parodies have been a very popular genre. “Musical of Musical” parodies five Broadway composers-from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. “A Broadway Christmas Carol” uses songs from R & H’s “Oklahoma,” “Carousel,” “King and I,” and from Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Follies.” Throw in songs from “Godspell,” “Chicago,” “Pajama Game,” “Sweet Charity,” “Music Man,” “Avenue Q,” “Les Miz,” and “Secret Garden” and you have a riotous mélange of clever lyrics paired with recognizable show tunes.
Characters include Scrooge, the Crachits, Fred, Baby Fan, Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and, of course, Tiny Tim, and they are all played by three actors. Michael Sharp returns to MetroStage as Scrooge and also as the director/choreographer. He has played the role multiple times and says, “It is such fun because it parodies all of the Broadway shows that I have always loved. And, of course, it is the story of redemption which makes it a perfect holiday show.”
Tracey Stephens returns to play the Woman Who Isn’t Scrooge. A 12-year veteran of Capitol Steps, she has just returned from an exhaustive tour of the country during this recently completed political season. Russell Sunday joins the cast this season as The Man Who Isn’t Scrooge. He has been seen on our stage in the past in “Closer Than Ever” and “Musical of Musicals (The Musical!).” The next six weeks will be a “grand night for singing and dancing” and a lovely, redemptive story as well.
“A Broadway Christmas Carol” plays from Nov. 15-Dec. 23 at MetroStage, 1201 N. Royal St. For tickets or more information, call 703-548-9044 or visit www.metrostage.org.