Submitted by Dot the T Productions
Carol singing is as much a holiday tradition as it is a natural feel good. But it is second only to experiencing the story of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol.
Adapted by Lake of Bays resident, William Colgate, the story of Scrooge and assorted characters will, along with preshow carols, provide Muskoka residents a most joyful experience in the week before Christmas.
“To get everyone into the holiday spirit, Dyanna Jacklin will be on keyboard leading a 30-minute sing-a-long prior to the dramatic reading performance of A Christmas Carol,” says Jan Jacklin, Artistic Director and Producer of Dot The T Productions. “Song sheets will be available, but most likely everyone will be familiar with the lyrics of the songs chosen.”
And the talent doesn’t end there. Dot The T has stacked their roster with professional and community thespians with Joan Bendon (director of Billy Bishop Goes To War and director/performer in On A First Name Basis),
Richard Binsley (who performed in Mamma Mia on Broadway), Robin Clipsham (well-known as the Queen of Comedy in Muskoka), Michele Ineson (recent recipient of the Huntsville Theatre Company’s Best Actress in a Comedy Award), Steven Jacklin (reprising his role as Scrooge from two years ago), and Alyssa LaPlume (Canadore College theatre graduate).
In some ways, preparing for a staged reading is the same as for a traditional stage performance. In other ways it can be more challenging. Although the script will be read, being acutely familiar with character and text is critical. Finding and delivering the character’s voice along with facial expression to indicate action and relationships takes on an even more important role. Actors will be reading more than one character, and finding distinct voices is key to clearly telling the story. This stellar cast will provide all the holiday ‘feels’ when they bring the characters of this iconic yuletide treasure to life.
Carolling and A Christmas Carol will be performed between Dec.18 to the 22 at five separate venues throughout Muskoka.
The event in Dorset on Dec. 18 is a fundraiser for the Dorset Health Hub and Winter Pantry. You can catch this festive event on Dec. 19 at the Bracebridge Legion, Dec. 20 at the Algonquin Theatre’s Partners Hall, Dec. 21 at the Gravenhurst Opera House’s Trillium Court, and finally on Dec. 22 at the JW Marriott in Muskoka Lakes which is a fundraiser for Muskoka Chautauqua. It should be noted that this is the 10th anniversary of when Muskoka Chautauqua first brought a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol to the then-new JW Marriott in Minett, which featured CBC’s Dick Smythe in the role of Scrooge.
More details and ticket info can be found at DotTheTPro.ca.
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