Michael Caine, Alastair Sim and Jim Carrey have all played the role.
Now, a local radio host will take on the persona of the pitiless penny-pincher.
Bill Anderson will be playing Ebeneezer Scrooge in Theatre Collingwood’s staged reading of A Christmas Carol at First Presbyterian Church on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.
“I’m happy to be involved, whether I play the Ghost of Christmas Future... I knew I wouldn’t be Tiny Tim,” Anderson said with a laugh. “It’s a very challenging role. It’s a wonderful role. You start out as this miserly person, but you gain redemption through the story.”
Anderson is the host of Bill's Classical Jukebox on The New Classical FM. He said his years in broadcasting have given him experience performing, and he also has a musical theatre background.
“I hope to bring some development to the character,” said Anderson. “Not only is it the story of Scrooge, but it’s a story of hope. While our society is certainly a lot more kind than it was in the 1840s when Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, there still are some misers among us. This brings hope that they, too, will find redemption.”
A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly money hoarder who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols and newer customs such as Christmas trees.
Also appearing in the reading will be Andy Dumas, Rowland Fleming, Luke Hamilton Ford, Dean Hollin, Linda Murphy, Clearview Mayor Doug Measures, Collingwood Mayor Brian Saunderson, and Coun. Mariane McLeod.
The price of admission is $25/ticket, with proceeds from ticket sales going to support next season’s programming as well as Theatre Collingwood’s Youth Drama Education camps.
“Our mission is to entertain and enrich our South Georgian Bay community as well as visitors to the region, by presenting and producing live professional theatre,” said Erica Angus, executive director of Theatre Collingwood. “It is our goal to tell great stories while bringing the community together in a positive way, and always in a facility that is fully accessible to all.”
Call 705-445-2200 or visit www.theatrecollingwood.ca for tickets.
