I’ve officially moved to my new province, Iloilo, and here I am still missing everything about Manila, especially now that December—and Christmas season—is officially upon us. I’m missing my family and friends like crazy, but there’s something else my heart is pining for: all our many Christmas traditions.
One of the many old and new holiday traditions I’ll miss—and that you, Manila residents, shouldn’t—is the staging of Menken & Ahrenn’s A Christmas Carol, brought to life once again by Globe LIVE and 9Works Theatricals just for this December. After its successful 2016 run, the Charles Dickens classic—one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories—will once again showcase impeccable production and classic music for families looking to create new holiday traditions.
Miguel Faustman reprises his role as the curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge
A Christmas Carol tells the story of a miserly man who finds happiness in sharing the joys of the season after being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. It shows Scrooge’s dramatic transformation from a penny-pincher to philanthropist amid a snowfall, providing a highly-entertaining backdrop. The production is a great mix of singing, dancing, and fantastic visuals that evoke a combination of thrilling, romantic, and feel-good emotions.
Starting December 7, 2017, A Christmas Carol will premiere at the Globe Iconic Stage at BGC Amphitheater in Taguig with some new cast members and a fresh production set by Ed Lacson Jr. 9Works director for A Christmas Carol Robbie Guevarra said the restaging will offer a new experience, different from last year’s, with new direction and new choreography.
Franco Laurel as The Ghost of Christmas Past
Half of the cast will be new, with Franco Laurel playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, while Tiny Tim will be played alternately by cuties Jaime Yupangco and Elai Estrella. The seasoned Miguel Faustman reprises his role as the curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge.
Rissey Reyes as The Ghost of Christmas Future
The timeless tale by Charles Dickens was a big hit last season, with 3,000 in attendance on its Christmas Day run alone, but that is not the reason the Ahren and Menken musical is getting restaged. “We chose to stage A Christmas Carol again because it resonates with the colorful holiday celebrations here in the Philippines. It also teaches us the valuable lesson of giving, which is what the season is all about. With the success it had last year, we wanted to offer it once again to eventually make it a Filipino Christmas tradition that everyone can enjoy,” said Joe Caliro, the musical’s Executive Producer and Globe Head for Creative Marketing and Multi-Media Services.
Added Caliro, “We have been disrupting certain spaces, and now we are disrupting theater by producing a play that will run in December instead of November, as what everybody is used to.”
The Kids of A Christmas Carol
Another new aspect introduced this year is the opportunity to share the Christmas spirit with the scholars of the Hero Foundation. A Christmas tree will be set up at the Globe ICONIC Theater, and people can buy ornaments and hang them on the tree. Proceeds of this endeavor will fund the Hero Foundation scholarships for children of our fallen soldiers. This fundraising effort resonates with A Christmas Carol’s lesson on sharing blessings with others this season.
A non-stock, non-profit organization, HERO stands for Help, Educate and Rear Orphans. It has been providing educational stipends to military orphans. The financial support helps keep orphans in school, as it covers much needed requirements such as school supplies, transportation, meals, and even a portion of their tuition fee.
The whole cast & crew of this year’s A Christmas Carol by 9Works Theatricals and Globe LIVE
Globe LIVE is the original live productions arm of the telco company that aims to offer customers more entertainment experiences that are out-of-the-box, online and offline. Globe LIVE’s strengthened partnership with 9Works Theatrical in staging award-winning productions helps Filipino talent shine even brighter on the family-friendly venue. Efforts such as these allow quality local theater productions to reach a wider audience and be appreciated by Filipinos.
The Globe LIVE and 9Works Theatricals staging of Menken & Ahren’s A Christmas Carol will run on December 7 to 10, December 14 to 17, and Dec 21, 22, 25 to 27 at the Globe ICONIC Theater, BGC. To know more about the show schedules and buy tickets, click here.