A Christmas Carol (Summoners Ensemble Theatre)
Summoners Ensemble Theatre presents its fourth annual run of this one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic. Performed at the landmarked Merchant's House Museum.
It's December 1867. Charles Dickens arrives in New York City for a month of sold-out performances of 'A Christmas Carol.' Join the author, portrayed by John Kevin Jones, in the elegant and intimate parlor of the historic, 19th-century Merchant's House for an hour-long performance created from Dickens' own script. Meet Mr. Dickens and toast the holiday season before select performances.
- Official Site
- 1 hour
- Already closed
- Merchant's House Museum (East Village)
Cast & Creatives (6)
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Reviews (19)
7 Critics' Reviews
"A delightful production…There's a Christmas tree and some holiday sprucing, creating a festive and historic background for John Kevin Jones' thoroughly engaging solo performance…With outstretched arms, his ghost of Jacob Marley is an eerie, breathy growl. As directed by Dr. Rhonda Dodd, the assortment of characters that follow, from richly Shakespearean to music hall slick to storybook innocent, are played with realism befitting the intimate setting." Full Review
"I love the story, I love Kevin, and I love this adaptation...After all these years, there's an ease and such clarity to the performances. Each character, even our omnipotent narrator, is so beautifully delineated, it's as if we've seen 20 actors instead of one. The ease also added a lot more natural humor in the piece, which then set off the powerful humanity at the end of the evening. I was weeping, as always." Full Review
"The talented co-adapter of the classic story has a clear love of the classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ text, and relays the tale flawlessly in his one-hour, intermissionless performance. But to simply call this a 'reading' would be a gross understatement. Jones brings this timeworn story of greed and redemption to life via his animated acting and careful touches…This spirited rendition of ‘A Christmas Carol’ has quickly become an instant holiday classic." Full Review
for a previous production "The Summoners Ensemble Theatre eschews grandiosity for authenticity...The effect is akin to a family reading of the story, as led by a very charismatic uncle...While slightly altered for a modern audience, the text loses nothing in richness and dexterity, especially when voiced by Jones' resonant baritone...This is masterful storytelling, like a live-action book on tape...It is likely that only a few hundred people will get the pleasure of seeing it. Make sure you're one of them." Full Review
for a previous production "You don’t need CGI to get the point across. Just a good storyteller. Jones is very good. Standing in the parlor of the historic Merchant’s House Museum, which is decked for the holidays, Jones summons Charles Dickens’ classic characters seamlessly under the direction of co-adapter Rhonda Dodd. A flick of a facial expression, a shift in vocal tone and canny change in body language does the trick." Full Review
for a previous production "Jones traverses the familiar moments in an abbreviated version of the novella without giving short shrift to the key plot points and themes of despair and joy, death and new beginnings...Adorned with period holiday decorations, Merchant’s House is a special place to get reacquainted with the holiday classic...Despite 'A Christmas Carol' being the recipient of countless modern-day interpretations that almost everyone has seen in one form or another, Jones’s rendering is fresh and lively." Full Review
for a previous production "It is immediately clear that Summoners Ensemble has found a capable, captivating performer in Mr. Jones. With his commanding voice and adroit cadence, Jones’ Dickens plays like a live-action audiobook. He navigates with facility the changes between characters and moments, finding humor and pathos in the complex prose...A sincere, stripped-down, wholly interesting and wholly innovative approach to the text that left me feeling the right kind of warm and fuzzy." Full Review
12 Members' Reviews
See it if you want to classic tale told in a new, spellbinding way. This show is beautifully performed and perfect for the holidays. It's delightful.
Don't see it if you don't like A Christmas Carol, one-man shows, listening to stories being told, dislike period recreations, or if don't like to be charmed
See it if you want to see this Christmas story performed by a talented actor doing approximately 20 different roles from the Dickens classic.
Don't see it if you want something original. One-person performances of A Christmas Carol are not uncommon. But see my additional notes below.
Also The production itself was excellent, but there are additional reasons ... Read more Read less
See it if Love Christmas
Don't see it if Hate Christmas
See it if I think the show was good, I found myself humming along with the tunes a lot. Overall, enjoyed myself
Don't see it if You dont like musicals. It has singing and dancing, and while it has dialogues, it is more of a musical than play.
See it if you like Charles dickens and his books. also if you like a chrismas classic
Don't see it if you hate Christmas bah humbug
See it if You love Christmas
Don't see it if You're scrooge!
See it if You like caroling
Don't see it if You don't like caroling
See it if you are not sick of the story yet
Don't see it if you're expecting something new
See it if You've enjoyed the story as a Christmas favorite.
Don't see it if You're generally annoyed by how much of a jerk scrooge is for most of the play.
See it if you're a fan of the original.
Don't see it if you don't like the original.
See it if you want a light hearted holiday show with a bit of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Don't see it if you're against holidays and you're a total scrooge
See it if I loved it..always have liked it since I was little and watched the movie. Seeing the show made it come alive.
Don't see it if You have little ones who may be frightened by the darker parts with Scrooge.