Arts Club Theatre Company Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran and Executive Director Peter Cathie White just announced the first production in the upcoming 2021–2022 season: Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, a new musical adapted from A Christmas Carol, featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton.
Set during the 1930’s in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, this joyful musical imagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys and gifts of the season.
As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner and three ghosts who compel him to see life and love anew. Dickens’s classic characters and Parton’s one-of-a-kind songwriting expertise are certain to make this a holiday event you’ll want to share with friends and loved ones.
The rest of the lineup in the company’s post-pandemic transitional season will be revealed next month.
Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol had its world premiere in 2019 in Boston. Broadwayworld.com described it as delivering on “the simplicity of its message of faith, family, and love, especially during the holiday season, and is a reflection of the heritage and values of its namesake.”
According to Corcoran, “Dolly Parton is a uniquely talented and universally beloved icon across so many demographic ‘divides.’ As I learned more about how theatrical the storytelling is within this piece, and heard Dolly’s music, I knew that it would be the right way to welcome back our audiences to the Stanley.”
This production features 13 actors and six musicians and will be helmed by Bobby Garcia, making his Arts Club directorial debut with this summer’s Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story.
Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol
Dates: November 18, 2021 to January 2, 2021
Venue: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Available online
All performances will be presented in adherence to the most current safety guidelines established by the B.C. government. The health and safety of all patrons, staff and artists is the Arts Club’s top priority.
Top image by Alan on Flickr.