THERE are somethings which are deeply associated with Christmas such a turkey, Christmas pudding, snow, carol singers and in the world of theatre A Christmas Carol.

This is probably one of the most famous stories associated with the festive period and if it is made in a film or in the theatre is ‘a feel good Christmas’ story.

You can now get the Christmas feeling by watching A Christmas Carol - The Musical which will be on at The Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton from Sunday, December 9 to Saturday, December 30.

This version of Charles Dickens’ much-loved story is a spectacular Broadway Musical adaptation by Alan Menken (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime) that breathes fresh life into a classic Christmas tale.

It is guaranteed to leave everyone full of Christmas spirit, and you can expect a few surprises along the way as we transport you to Scrooges London complete with ghosts, Tiny Tim and a magical Christmas party.

For those who do not know the story, it is all about Ebenezer Scrooge is a prosperous curmudgeon who believes personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others. With an infuriated “Bah! Humbug!”

Scrooge summates his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving, but he’s forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts on Christmas Eve lead him through his Past, Present, & Future. Thanks to their guidance, Scrooge recognizes his faults and greets Christmas morning with a cheerful “Happy Christmas” before spending the day reconnecting and sharing love with those that mean the most to him.

The musical voice of Christmas at the Brewhouse Theatre is being created by Lisa Tustian.

Somerset County Gazette:

She is the musical director of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol- The Musical at the Brewhouse Theatre which will run from December 9-30.

This version of Charles Dickens’ much-loved story is a spectacular Broadway Musical adaptation by Alan Menken (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors) and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime) that breathes fresh life into a classic Christmas tale.

Lisa who is a music teacher and singer is thrilled at the chance to help play her part in staging this production which will have live music.

Explaining how this will happen, Lisa said: “It is rare to have live music but we will have three to four musicians who will play live as part of the action.

“The music flows throughout the play like a film soundtrack.

“The music is integrated into the play and is a wonderful addition.

“The music gives the play an edge so there is light and dark and it does get a little bit scary.

“The musical looks at different human emotions. There is a bit of Scrooge in us all and this is the human element.

“What we see in the musical is we find out why Scrooge is the way he is and what happened to him during his childhood.

“The best way to engage people is to make sure the pace of the show is exciting.

“There needs to be periods of calm and the moments of joy need to be effectively engaging.

“If members of the audience leave the theatre saying that went quickly it was over so fast and they enjoyed it then I will be very happy.”

The director of A Christmas Carol -The Musical is Greg Banks.

This is Greg’s first full blown Broadway musical although he has directed plays where there have been musical numbers.

Somerset County Gazette:

He works at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre but was appointed director of this Christmas musical after impressing as director of his adaptation of Robin Hood.

The story of the man who robbed the rich and gave to the poor was given a twist by setting the play in a contemporary settings.

In the version directed by Greg, he set the play as being set amongst the homeless with them talking about how Robin Hood helps the homeless and unemployed.

Greg said he enjoyed taking a well known story/tale giving it a contemporary flavour.

Now, he is gearing up for the excitement of a Christmas musical in Taunton.

This is a location he is familiar with as many years ago when he was an actor he appeared at the Brewhouse Theatre so it is a chance for him to be reacquainted with the town and the theatre.

Looking ahead to A Christmas Carol - The Musical, Greg said: “There is a big difference between Robin Hood and A Christmas Carol.

“This is a Broadway musical and much of what would normally be spoken is sung.

“But I wanted to captured what Charles Dickens had written about in this Christmas show.

“Scrooge is mean but it is interesting to discover the reasons.

“When Scrooge’s father was being taken into the debtors prison he warned Scrooge ‘save your money, look after it as you never know when you might need it’.

“It is also sad the young woman who Scrooge wanted to marry when he was young turned him down as she told him he loved money more than anything.

“The job of this musical is to tell the story and retain the emotional truth so when Scrooge gets a change of heart it is all part of the Christmas message.”

In the build up to the play starting, Greg and the rest of the production team have been working with the two teams of youngsters who take part in the musical.

All this took place before the professional actors got involved so everyone was up to speed and things were ready before the production took to the stage.

Greg added: “This is a new challenge for me but I am looking forward to it.

“I did appear at the Brewhouse years ago and it nice to have a theatre in the centre of town which is there for the community.”

Tickets for A Christmas Carol - The Musical cost full price from £18.50 and concessions from £15.

These can be bought online at thebrewhouse.net or by calling the box office on 01823 283244.