Christmas Carol Tradition Continues

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

December 4, 2006

Most families can’t imagine Christmas without A Christmas Carol.  The spellbinding fable of Ebenezer Scrooge, a lonely man who receives the rarest of gifts -- the chance to change his life and to find his heart -- combines comedy and pathos with a heartwarming finale.  The tradition will continue in Charlottesville this season when Nebraska Theatre Caravan brings their vibrant and opulent production of A Christmas Carol to The Paramount Theater for two shows on Saturday, December 16 at 3 and 7 pm. 

This show is sponsored by Scott•Kroner PLC. 
Special Media Sponsor for this event is albemarle Magazine.

Ever since legendary theatre pioneer Charles Jones adapted the Dickens classic for Nebraska Theatre Caravan nearly three decades ago, the national touring production of A Christmas Carol has delighted audiences across America.  By artfully combining elements of spectacle, music, and dance, Jones created a stage version that not only delights children, but also transports audiences of all ages on a magical journey right alongside Ebenezer Scrooge.

Packed with laughter, pageantry, and gorgeous costumes, this staging of the tale evokes both the chilling poverty and luxurious wealth of 19th Century London, magically unfolding like a three-dimensional Victorian Christmas card.  Every memorable detail, from spine-chilling ghosts, crotchety Scrooge, and lovable Tiny Tim, to heartfelt renditions of traditional British carols accompanied by a live orchestra, makes this time-tested production of Charles Dickens’ enchanting story a treasured holiday event.

The Nebraska Theatre Caravan was founded in 1975 as a joint project between the Omaha Community Playhouse and the Nebraska Arts Council “to bring together a small group of professional performer-teachers for workshops in Omaha and out-state.”  The original 12-week program soon became a full-time program, touring to Greater Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming, and by its second season was playing to 45,000 people in 37 communities.  Since its inception the Nebraska Theatre Caravan has produced 90 fully-mounted productions -- many of which were new works -- and played to 160 Nebraska communities and numerous others across the nation.

In 1979 the Caravan started performing the Charles Jones adaptation of A Christmas Carol nationally with one company touring the Midwest.  A second company was added to tour the East Coast three years later, and a third was formed in 1987 to tour the West Coast.  Now a holiday tradition for 28 years, the national tour of A Christmas Carol has performed in over 600 cities in 49 states, as well as three Canadian provinces.

Seats for A Christmas Carol on Saturday, December 16 are $45, $40, $37, and $34.   A Youth/Child price of $25 is being offered for those aged 12 and younger.  Students of all ages may obtain half-price student rush tickets at the Box Office with a valid ID 45 minutes prior to curtain.  Group discounts are also available. 

Tickets may be ordered online or through The Paramount’s Box Office at 434.979.1333.  
For more information about Nebraska Theatre Caravan, please visit www.nebraskatheatrecaravan.com.