HATE Xmas.25

Bring on the star holiday abhorer, Scrooge. Dozens of iterations of this iconic humbugger include many apt songs.

1992 featured Anthony Newly frolicking through “I Hate Christmas.” He actually hates all people who celebrate it. Small, significant difference, as that is the actual title of the song.

Keith Ferguson and Bruce Greer lean more heavily on the Dickens text with “Scrooge’s Song” in the 2015 church and high school friendly ‘A Christmas Carol: A New Musical.’ The ‘cast’ Scrooge here makes less hate and more economic disapproval with his singsongy operatic LesMiz prattle.

The Alan Mencken 1993 ‘A Christmas Carol: The Musical’ roils about with the operatic Walter Charles bickering with the hands out in “Nothing to Do With Me.” (Don’t find the Kelsey Grammer 2004 Hallmark adaptation.)

Out of the Ark has their own ‘Bah Humbug!–A Dickens of a Christmas Carol’ with such 2018 assembly-ready kids chorus numbers as “Bah Humbug“–don’t sing hamburger again, Randy, I’m warning you!

Time for kidstuff! Must recap 1962’s ‘Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol’ with the heinous hee-hee of Jim Backus chortling “Ringle Rangle” an ode to coin.

The Stingiest Man in Town” is the title song from a 1956 TV musical snuck into animation by Rankin Bass in 1978. Here Tom Bosley (a bug) sings about how mean Scrooge (Walter Matthau) is, not necessarily as relates to Xmas. “Humbug” is the better angerpalooza with Dennis Day (Nephew Fred) and Matthau himself. Hatin’ on the St. Nicholas. This is a hoot.

The most fun of the hate is the 1992 ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ with the cast toasting the miserly, stingy, awful “Scrooge.” Michael Caine towering over the little felt guys is so menacing.