freeFall Holiday Tradition A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to Tampa Bay, 12/13-30

A freeFall holiday tradition continues with Keith Ferguson's and Bruce Greer's enchanting new musical adaptation of the Dickens classic. With a soaring and inspirational score, and faithful incarnations of all of the memorable characters, Dickens' ghost story leaps from the page and delights with stunning theatricality, lush scenery & costumes, and surprising special effects. Plan early to get your seats for this perfect holiday outing. A Christmas Carol, will run Thursday, December 13 thru Sunday, December 30, 2012 for 15 performances only.

"A Christmas Carol is a beautifully wrapped gift for all Tampa Bay families," said freeFall's Community Outreach Director Matthew McGee. "This year, the show promises an array of new surprises. It's also the perfect opportunity to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with family, friends and co-workers as part of your annual holiday party or family get-together."

freeFall favorite Steven Patterson (Quixote in Man of La Mancha) will reprise his role as Ebenezer Scrooge. Also returning to the freeFall stage are Laura Hodos (Man of La Mancha), Joel Gennari and Heather Baird (A Christmas Carol, Cabaret), Chris Crawford and Michael Shenefelt (Romeo + Juliet), and Natalie Symons (Becky Shaw, Comedy of Errors). Kelly Pekar and Anthony Murphy round out the cast, along with Morgan Myers as Tiny Tim, and a special appearance by freeFall Artistic Director Eric Davis (director of freeFall's summer smash Cabaret) as Jacob Marley and Mr. Fezziwig. This 22-person cast also features a chorus of talented Bay area children!

"It has everything we were looking for in a stage adaptation of the novel," Eric Davis noted regarding the selection of the classic from Charles Dickens' novel, "A Christmas Carol." "We knew we wanted a very faithfully adapted script with a lot of the Dickens prose in tact. There are just certain lines that people want to hear, and with good reason. Some passages of this novel are among the most recognizable in all of English literature. 'Marley was dead to begin with,' comes to mind." But this production goes far beyond the script: "Also, we were looking for something with a soaring score of original contemporary musical theatre music, which this has. Along with that, the composer and lyricist have found brilliant and clever ways of incorporating many traditional carols into that original score: underneath, over, and within the original songs."

A Christmas Carol: A New Musical runs December 13 through 30. Tickets are $39 or $46, depending on seating, with discounts available for students, teachers, seniors and military. $22 "rush tickets" are sold on an as-available basis 30 minutes before each show to students and teachers with ID's, and industry artists (show an AEA ID or your name in a printed program.) Bring the whole family! Children between the ages of 5 and 18 can see the show for only $22. This all-new holiday musical is also the perfect show for your group! Contact Matthew at 727-498-5205 (X 7) for information on group rates and show availability.

Tiny Tim's Toy Drive will take place on Saturday December 15 (2pm matinee). Bring an unwrapped toy and receive a free child's ticket. All toys will be donated to Toys for Tots.

For more information and tickets visit www.freefalltheatre.com or call (727) 498-5205.

And as a special added treat, don't miss Michael Raabe and Sara DelBeato in A Very Swell Noel on Sunday December 16 and Monday December 17 at 7pm. Tickets are only $15! Don't miss Michael and Sara as they shake and stir up some retro-tastic Christmas tunes that are guaranteed to make you Merry and Bright!

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