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West Jordan Journal

Beloved Christmas Story Comes Alive in December

Dec 08, 2015 10:02AM ● By Bryan Scott

By Mylinda LeGrande

West Jordan - Sugar Factory Playhouse and West Jordan Theater Arts will be presenting “The Dickens Christmas Carol Show,” by Arthur Scholey.  It is a musical version of Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol,” which is true to Dickens’ original written word.  

“I find this show very reminiscent of the ‘Christmas Carol’ shows Hale did 25 years ago,” the show’s director and Hale Centre Theatre veteran, Pat Oliver, said.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold, jaded man caught up in a never-ending quest for riches. To him, Christmas is simply an annoyance and distraction from pursuing his one great love: money. But a late-night interview with his dead partner’s ghost, followed by the visits of the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet To Come, may just be the thing to open his eyes to what his bitterness and selfishness have cost him and what he is missing now and will lose in the very near future if he does not change - and soon!

Travis Green, marketing director for Sugar Factory Playhouse described this year’s production crew and cast.  He said that the show was produced by Michelle Groves and Jennifer Bedore and directed by Pat Oliver. “The Dickens Christmas Carol Show” stars Stephen McBride as ‘Ebenezer Scrooge,’ Galen Chatterton as the ghost of Scrooge’s dead partner ‘Jacob Marley,’ Peter Johnson as Scrooge’s clerk ‘Bob Cratchit,’ Colin Baker as ‘Fred,’ Aseneth Castaneda as the ‘Ghost of Christmas Past,’ Steve Hedman as the ‘Ghost of Christmas Present’ and Paul Vibert as the ‘Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come’.  

“There are 38 people in the cast. Mateo Seminario (one of two actors playing ‘Tiny Tim’) is the youngest cast member and will be turning six next month, I believe. Stephen McBride (‘Scrooge’) and Galen Chatterton (‘Marley’s Ghost’) are tied for the oldest at 67. Most of the men in the show are Hale Centre Theatre veterans. The theater experience of the child actors runs from having seven or eight shows under their belt to never having been on a stage before. We have four violinists and a pianist (who has been with us for 20 years and close to 40 shows) accompanying the music for our show. One of our female leads is the drama teacher at West Jordan Middle School,” Green said.

The dates for the show are Dec. 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 18, 19 at 7:30 p.m., with a 3:30 p.m. matinee on Dec. 12.  They will be performing the show at the Midvale Performing Arts Center, which is located at 695 Center Street.

Tickets for the show are $8 for general admission and $5 for children ages 12 and under, seniors, ages 60 and over, students with ID and groups of 10 or more.  The doors will open 30 minutes before the show.  The tickets may be purchased in advance at Macey’s grocery store in West Jordan or at the door with cash or a check.  

More information about the show can be found on Facebook at Sugar Factory Playhouse/WJ Theater Arts where there will be ticket giveaways.