ESTELLA SCROOGE: A Christmas Carol with a Twist was at the top of last week’s New York Times list of must-see streaming shows this holiday season and features 24 of Broadway’s brightest stars in a contemporary version of the timeless story of hope and redemption that is needed now more than ever!
ESTELLA SCROOGE, is a Wall Street tycoon and a direct descendent of Ebenezer Scrooge, who travels to her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio on Christmas Eve to foreclose on one of her company’s investments. When she arrives, she discovers that the defaulting party is none other than her childhood friend Pip Nickleby, a kind and gentle soul who has transformed the Harthouse Hotel into a refuge for the sick, dispossessed and homeless. ESTELLA SCROOGE is the first digital theatre presentation filmed entirely during the pandemic utilizing cutting-edge technology. The fully realized production, a dazzlingly theatrically cinematic adventure, was filmed one actor at a time using tracked green screen techniques, which when composited with 3D virtual environments brings this timely new musical to life in an exciting and unprecedented way.
From The Tony & Olivier Award-Winning Director of LES MISÉRABLES & NICHOLAS NICKLEBY
And The Tony Nominated Composer of JANE EYRE
Starring BETSY WOLFE (Waitress), CLIFTON DUNCAN (Play That Goes Wrong), LAUREN PATTEN (2020 Tony Nominee Jagged Little Pill), PATRICK PAGE (Tony Nominee Hadestown), CAROLEE CARMELLO (Tony Nominee Parade), DANNY BURSTEIN (2020 Tony Nominee Moulin Rouge!)
When a snowstorm forces Estella to stay the night, she is haunted by surprise visitors from her past, present and future who try to show her the error of her ways and give her the Dickens!
The enchanting script by John Caird and Paul Gordon smartly, almost imperceptibly, brings together characters and themes from “A Christmas Carol,” “Great Expectations,” “Oliver Twist,” “Little Dorritt,” and other Dickens classics – creating a sort of treasure hunt for fans of the beloved and brilliant author. Those unfamiliar with the great writer's works will be swept away by the story and its relevance to today.
The original score by Paul Gordon is a melding of song styles with unforgettable Broadway ballads, rock- infused anthems and traditional pop numbers that will delight audiences of all ages.
Use this link to purchase your discounted tickets today and save 20%! There are 4 options available:
• $23.99 (Regularly $29.99) - 72 Hr Rental & Voucher to Download Cast Album CD
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• $39.99 - Purchase to Own
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Estella Scrooge features a book by Tony Award winner John Caird (Les Misérables, Nicholas Nickleby) and Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice), music and lyrics by Gordon and direction by Caird.
A modern day take on Charles Dickens’ beloved 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, Estella Scrooge also wittily incorporates characters and plot lines from Dickens’ other great novels, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House, among others.
Betsy Wolfe (Waitress) stars as Estella Scrooge, a descendent of her famous great great great great grandfather Ebenezer. Clifton Duncan (The Play That Goes Wrong) stars as Philip ‘Pip’ Nickleby. 2020 Tony Award nominee Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill) stars as Dawkins. The production also stars Tony Award nominees Patrick Page (Hadestown) as Mr. Merdle, Carolee Carmello (Parade) as Marla Havisham and Danny Burstein (2020 Tony Award Nominee, Moulin Rouge!) as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Estella Scrooge (Wolfe) is a young Wall Street tycoon with a penchant for foreclosing. A hotelier in her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio has defaulted on his mortgage and Estella fancies the idea of lowering the boom personally. Arriving at Harthouse on Christmas Eve, Estella discovers that the defaulting party is her childhood sweetheart, Pip Nickleby (Duncan). A good and generous soul, Pip has transformed the property into a refuge for the sick, dispossessed and homeless. A freak snowstorm forces Estella to take refuge. That night, just as it happened to her ancestor Ebenezer, she is haunted by three visitations…and oh, what uninvited houseguests they are!
The cast also includes Megan McGinnis (Little Women) as Betty Cratchit, Adam Halpin (Dear Evan Hansen) as Bob Cratchit, Sarah Litzsinger (Beauty and the Beast) as Sissy Jupe, Tom Nelis (The Visit) as Dedlock, Em Grosland (Emotional Creature) as Smike, Phoenix Best (Dear Evan Hansen) as Charity & Mercy, David Bryant (Original Marius in Broadway’s Les Misérables) as Mr. Podsnap, Gabrielle Reid (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical) as Mrs. Pumblechook, Samuel Lee Roberts (Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular) as Mr. Flopson, Michael Francis McBride (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) as Mr. Dombey, Michele Lee (Nutcracker Rouge) as Mrs. Noggs, Kristen Faith Oei (The King and I) as Ms. Skiffins, Meg Gibson (The Gabriels) as Molly, William Youmans (Wicked) as Magwitch & Bagstock, Kevyn Morrow (Moulin Rouge!) as Jasper Jaggers, Joziyah Jean-Felix (The Lion King) as Young Pip, Brooklyn Shuck (“Evil”) as Young Essy and Willow McCarthy (The Ferryman) as Tiny Tammy.
Director/co-book writer John Caird said, “I’m so happy to bring this new musical to life in the midst of these mad and maddening times. The creative team nimbly learned new techniques to bring the actors and their characters together. It’s wonderful to provide employment for the theatre community while we enliven the classic Christmas Carol story, refashioned with a new twist for today. At a time of great conflict and hardship, I hope we can shine a little ray of optimism into the surrounding darkness.”
Co-book writer/composer Paul Gordon said, “This piece was a joy to create, from the first beat of the idea to the culmination of the film. Discovering how these Dickensian characters (from different novels) would interact together and tell a cohesive story with a distinct musical voice was both a challenge and a thrill. I believe in finding new ways of sharing the magic of musical theatre with the world and now it’s more important than ever to escape for a few hours with a message of love and hope. I’m proud to be part of this creative team and to bring our community together in a responsible way during these challenging times.”
Producer Michael Jackowitz said, “Estella Scrooge was born after a conversation with our Executive Producer, Kevin Surace. We thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to shoot something in a safe, isolated fashion, but put everyone together in the same frame?’ An experiment was done to test the concept and push the boundaries. Was it possible to shoot an entire musical this way? The answer was YES and what audiences will see are the fruits of that exciting labor.”
Executive Producers are Kevin Surace and for StreamingMusicals, Tom Polum and Stacia Fernandez. Co-Executive Producers are Jeffrey Grove, Allan Herzog and Dawn Smalberg/Bev Ragovoy.
For over three years, StreamingMusicals has been creating content that is a hybrid between theatre and film, with in-theatre and soundstage captures that provide worldwide access to musicals that would not be as widely seen otherwise. In April, over 160,000 people watched the premiere of StreamingMusicals’ production of Paul Gordon’s musical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Executive Producer Tom Polum said, “StreamingMusicals is pleased to be a part of this groundbreaking new approach to recording an original musical. This incredibly talented and inventive team of artists have fashioned a story that is not only a reflection of our times, but a nod to great iconic figures of the past. The cutting-edge technology utilized in Estella Scrooge will create dazzling moments that will make viewers feel like they are in the 10th row of a theater.”
Estella Scrooge features musical supervision by Brad Haak (Mary Poppins), choreography by Natalie Lomonte (Every Woman Biennial) and casting by Tara Rubin Casting (Dear Evan Hansen). Director of photography and editor is Tyler Milliron (StreamingMusicals’ Pride and Prejudice), production art design is by Zach Wilson (Beauty and the Beast), costume design is by Somie Pak (“Mélange”), hair and makeup design is by Dena Olivieri (Forbidden Steps) and props design is by Katherine White (StreamingMusicals’ Marry Harry).
Estella Scrooge was developed in part at Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with developmental productions at Rubicon Theatre Company (Karyl Lynn Burns and James O’Neil, Artistic Directors).
