‘Scrooge! The Musical’ at Chance Theater

OC Theatre Guild
4 days ago
5 min read

A fresh take on one of the most classic holiday tales ever written.

Bruce Goodrich. Show artwork courtesy of The Prepared Performer.

by Anne Reid

Chance Theater’s holiday Literature Series has long celebrated the power of great books to inspire imaginative theatrical storytelling, and this season’s addition, “Scrooge! The Musical,” invites audiences into a fresh, intimate retelling of one of the most enduring holiday tales ever written.

Literary Manager and Resident Artist James McHale was asked to direct the new adaptation for the series, which focuses each year on musical works inspired by celebrated literature. “The Chance has a rotation of shows we do for the holidays, which we call our Literature Series,” McHale explains. “We had an opportunity to add a new show this year with ‘Scrooge! The Musical,’ being an adaptation of Dickens’ novella, and I was honored to be asked to direct it.”

“Few stories have been retold as often as ‘A Christmas Carol’,” McHale said. “Dickens’ tale has become both a holiday classic and a social call to compassion.” Written during a decade of poverty, child labor and harsh working conditions, the tale is a difficult look at inequality but also at forgiveness and inclusivity finding its way. For nearly two centuries, the tale has traveled across cultures and media, from Dickens’ own public readings to 19th-century stage renditions to modern reinterpretations such as “Scrooged,” “The Muppets Christmas Carol” and the 1970 Leslie Bricusse musical film “Scrooge!” starring Golden Globe winner Albert Finney.

From Left: Amy Sorensen, Matt Takahashi, and Charlotte Santulli. Rehearsal photo courtesy of Steve Leiken.

Bricusse’s adaptation, later developed into a stage musical, infuses the story with rich melodies, humor and theatrical magic, providing the musical foundation for this Chance production. McHale describes the score as “infused with more humor and some very beautiful, complex vocal arrangements,” giving the show a fresh musical texture while honoring the source.

Despite its grand legacy, McHale and the design team approached “Scrooge! The Musical” with a deep embrace of Chance Theater’s signature intimacy. “It starts with this idea that it’s as if we are gathered in a room, reading a book together, sitting around a proverbial piano listening to the story,” McHale said.

Traditional productions often feature casts of 25 to 50 performers and elaborate, realistic sets, but this version features 12 adults and two children using a representational approach rooted in ensemble storytelling. Actors remain onstage throughout, shifting between roles, shaping transitions through movement and sound, and transforming trunks, suitcases and other minimalistic props into safes, window frames, city streets and memories. “We're leaning into the fact that we’re all in the same room,” he added, describing a world where the audience and performers share the imaginative space.

From Left: Jack Thomas Aitken, Sydney DeMaria, Kayley Stallings, Corydon Melgoza, and Adam Leiva. Rehearsal photo courtesy of Steve Leiken.

Projections designed by Nick Santiago will play a major role in moving the story from the book to the magical landscapes of the musical’s journey. “The actors will rarely leave the space,” McHale said. “They’ll be actively shaping the story, suggesting changes in location and set pieces minimally, with projections helping us step into the magic.”

For McHale, stepping into Dickens’ world carries a special sense of artistic discovery. “I’ve never worked on a version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ before,” he said. “The opportunity to take on the challenge of doing this big show in a very intimate setting and with a new approach is very exciting to me.”

The cast reflects a blend of longtime collaborators and new faces: Bruce Goodrich brings humor and nuance to Scrooge; Matt Takahashi shows off his typical charm and whimsy; Winston Peacock embodies several ghostly figures with his booming presence; Kaley Stallings appears as a youthful Ghost of Christmas Past for reasons the production hints are a “secret”; and opera singer Justin Ryan gives Jacob Marley’s warning a haunting musical depth.

Design elements reinforce the production’s fluid storytelling style. Scenic elements begin with a book motif, with trunks and suitcases repurposed in inventive ways to suggest environmental changes. Costume designer Gwen Sloan focuses on subtle, in-view changes that preserve the storytellers’ conceit. Sound designer James Markoski collaborates with the actors to build much of the soundscape organically onstage while integrating digital elements strategically. Lighting and sound by Masako Tobaru further shape the sensory world. Projections serve as the bridge between intimate storytelling and the sweeping memories and supernatural encounters at the heart of the show’s transformation.

From Left: Winston Peacock, Lizzie Spellman, Bruce Goodrich, Kayley Stallings, and Sophie Sonntag. Rehearsal photo courtesy of of Steve Leiken.

An especially meaningful layer of this production is the involvement of Wiley Aitken, a longtime friend of Chance. His connection to the theater began serendipitously when his wife, Bette Aitken, for whom the theater itself is now named, once pulled into the parking lot after noticing the marquee and bought a ticket to “Triassic Parq” on a whim. The experience moved her so deeply that she and her husband became part of the theater’s extended family and prominent benefactors. Since “A Christmas Carol” is a beloved tradition in their family, it felt fitting for Aitken and his granddaughter, Grace, to serve as dramaturgs for the first time. Their work deepens the production’s ties to the story’s long history, highlighting how Dickens’ story still resonates today.

McHale continues to discover new moments in rehearsal, but he’s especially drawn to Scrooge’s direct relationship with the audience. Breaking the fourth wall adds intimacy, making viewers feel like active participants in the old miser’s transformation. “I love Scrooge’s relationship with the audience,” McHale shared. That sense of communal engagement reinforces one of the story’s most powerful themes: that redemption is always possible. “Despite his history, we believe there’s good in him,” McHale said.

Producing “Scrooge! The Musical” at Chance Theater, recently ranked among Orange County’s top performing arts venues, amplifies the emotional impact of its intimacy. McHale, who joined the company in 2013 and became a resident artist the following year, brings together his work as a director, actor, musician and full-time artist.

With its blend of inventive staging, lush musicality and heartfelt storytelling, this Scrooge story honors Dickens’ original while reimagining it for a contemporary audience. It invites theatergoers to gather, just as the characters do, to rediscover the magic, hope and humanity at the center of the tale.

McHale hopes its ghosts, melodies and laughter haunt pleasantly, just as Dickens intended.