THEATRE + COMEDY

Houston Family Arts Center presents A Christmas Carol. Based on the novel by Charles Dickens.  Adapted by Joseph Hanreddy and Edward Morgan of Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Performances at The Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress, TX 77433. Opening Night: Friday, December 4, 2009 Complete Run: December 4-19, 2009 . This family-friendly musical version of Charles Dickens’ timeless holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, will touch your soul and brighten your holiday season with its message of kindness and redemption.

A Christmas Carol is the classic tale about the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge pays his clerk Bob Cratchit only fifteen shillings a week, is rude to his nephew and refuses to take part in the Christmas spirit. Soon, the Ghosts of his former business partner (Jacob Marley), Christmas Past, Present and Future all pay visits to Scrooge. They teach him to value Christmas and to be a better person overall. After the ghosts leave, Scrooge changes his life and becomes a generous, kind-hearted soul. Don’t miss this delightful holiday production, which includes several scenes from the Dickens’ novel that are not usually included in stage adaptations.

“A Christmas Carol uses a cast that ranges from 6 yrs old to 60,” said Teri Clark, HFAC Artistic Director. “At HFAC, we love producing shows with cross-generational casting. These shows allow families to rehearse and perform together; provide mentoring to less experienced actors; and gives actors of all ages an opportunity to perform on the main stage in a professional-quality show.”

A Christmas Carol (full title: A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas) is Charles Dickens' "little Christmas Book" first published on December 19, 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. The story met with instant success, selling six thousand copies within a week. Originally written as a potboiler to enable Dickens to pay off a debt, the tale has become one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time.

In fact, contemporaries of the time noted that the popularity of the story played a critical role in redefining the importance of Christmas and the major sentiments associated with the holiday. Few modern readers realize that A Christmas Carol was written during a time of decline in the old Christmas traditions. "If Christmas, with its ancient and hospitable customs, its social and charitable observances, were in danger of decay, this is the book that would give them a new lease," said English poet Thomas Hood in his review in Hood's Magazine and Comic Review (January 1844).

The talented cast includes local Houston actors J. Blanchard (Ebenezer Scrooge), Brandon Hobratschk (Jacob Marley), Chris Kennedy (Bob Cratchit), Josiah Boriack (Tiny Tim), LaKaiya Evans (The Ghost of Christmas Past), Glenn Ropiequet (The Ghost of Christmas Present), Chuck Pickering (Fezziwig and The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come) and Shamus O’Brien (Fred - Scrooge's nephew).

The production team includes David Armstrong (Director), Karen Clayton (Assistant Director), Sam Brown (Musical Director), Cecil Davis (Set Design), Lisa Garza (Lighting Design), Tracy Clayton (Sound Design), Karen Burns (Costumer Designer), Brendis O’Sullivan (Stage Manager), Mark Fleischhauer (graphic design) and Carla Conover (Producer).

All performances of A Christmas Carol will be held at The Berry Center, 8877 Barker-Cypress Rd, Cypress, TX 77433 and will run December 4-19, 2009.

About Houston Family Arts Center
Houston Family Arts Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization established to provide a fun outlet for creative community involvement through the production of high-quality, family-friendly, affordable entertainment. Their core values are: Fun, Integrity, Excellence, Respect, Family, Diversity, Teamwork and Love. HFAC produces family-friendly musicals, comedies, and dramas. The HFAC Actors’ Academy provides numerous acting, singing, and dancing classes and workshops for children, teens, and adults. To sign up for classes, purchase tickets or find more information, visit www.houstonfac.com  or call 281-685-6374.