Piling on to the so-called tradition of the Dickens morality play, every handful of years a handful of new adaptations take the stage.
That Disney animated movie Oscar-winner, Alan Menken, threw the music onto ‘A Christmas Carol: The Musical‘ of 2004 (from a 1994 stage production). This iteration is a (TV) star-studded gala for this (TV… erm, uhm, Hallmark [sorry]) production. Kelsey Grammer is more confrontational with his growling rendition here (“Nothing to do With Me Part 2“). Jason Alexander is more sly with his suffering Marley (“Link by Link“). Silly filler includes Scrooge’s upbringing (“A Place Called Home“). In fact six pieces in the 20 song soundtrack belong to the Past lessons, psychoanalyzing the misanthropy of the big jerk (letting him off the hook as a victim of circumstance, sez me). As uszh, the better pieces are from “Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball” (largely orchestral for all the dancing) and the Future: “Dancing on Your Grave” (largely drama recited to the music). Not groundbreaking, but seems like a grand theatrical experience.
Ya wanna get rockopera about it, get some Tommy Johannsen’s Majestica. His A Christmas Carol (Extended Version) has all the import of class warfare and all the metal of Metallica. The numbers tend to start with traditional carol tunes, like “A Christmas Story” fronted by ‘O Come All.’ “The Ghost of Marley” is all ‘Deck the Halls,’ but still kicking hard. A welcome relief is “The Joy of Christmas” a ‘Wish You a Merry’ about Scrooge’s past. But the “Ghost of Christmas to Come” number is a rollicking cabaret routine like one long drum solo. Original?
