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GOODSPEED MUSICALS AUDIENCE INSIGHTS a non-profit Arts Organization MICHAEL GENNARO Executive Director presents Book by L J FECHO Music & Lyrics by MICHAEL O'FLAHERTY Scenic Design by Costume Design by Lighting Design by ADAM KOCH NICOLE V. MOODY JENNIFER SHRIEVER Sound Design by Orchestrations by Production Stage Manager JAY HILTON DAN DeLANGE JANE POLE Casting by Line Producer General Manager PAUL HARDT DONNA LYNN COOPER HILTON RACHEL J. TISCHLER STEWART/WHITLEY CASTING Music Direction by DAN PARDO Choreography by LISA SHRIVER Directed by HUNTER FOSTER NOV 17 - DEC 24, 2017 THE TERRIS THEATRE TABLE OF CONTENTS Character & Show Synopsis................................................................................................................................................................4 Meet the Writers......................................................................................................................................................................................6 Writer's Notes...........................................................................................................................................................................................7 Behind the Scenes: Costume Designs............................................................................................................................................8 Retellling Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol..............................................................................................................................9 William H. Goodspeed and His Opera House.............................................................................................................................10 Historical Figures of A Connecticut Christmas Carol................................................................................................................11 Resources...........................................................................................................................................................................14 Goodspeed’s Audience Insights can be found on our website: www.goodspeed.org/guides Audience Insights for A Connecticut Christmas Carol was prepared by: Erin Lafferty, Education & Outreach Manager Katherine Desjardins, Creative Content Manager Audience Insights updated 11.01.17 3 CHARACTER & SHOW SYNOPSIS THE CHARACTERS SHOW SYNOPSIS give Bob the day off for Christmas, but he docks his pay $1 for his early WILLIAM GILLETTE/SCROOGE: William In the Goodspeed Opera House in departure. On their way home to, Gillette, the actor famous for playing 1925, theater mogul William Gillette Kathy says she thinks Scrooge is evil; Sherlock Holmes over 1,000 times, readies himself for his turn in the role Tiny Tim thinks he feels sad and lonely. leads the troupe of actors performing of “Scrooge.” His troupe of thespians A Connecticut Christmas Carol as the joins him, donning their costumes, Scrooge arrives home, and as he character “Scrooge.” as they prepare to perform a more reaches the door, he hears a voice modern version of the Dickens classic, moaning his name: “Scroo-o-o-o-ge...” He tries the door a second time, and J.P. MORGAN’S GHOST: The ghost of A Christmas Carol—A Connecticut Christmas Carol! again he hears the voice. Scrooge Scrooge’s former business partner, J.P. enters the house, but the voice Morgan, who helps Scrooge acknowledge follows him as he settles in for the his past mistakes. In her modest, country kitchen, Martha Cratchit assembles her family for their night. Though he grows increasingly day in the city. It is Christmas Eve, and fearful, Scrooge tries to stay calm HARRIET BEECHER STOWE (GHOST the Cratchit children join their father when, suddenly, bells start ringing OF CHRISTMAS PAST): One of the this special day on his daily commute throughout his home—the servant’s country’s most celebrated authors for her to Hartford. Knowing Bob’s boss to be bell, clock chimes, church bells!—and writings on social issues of her time, the very stubborn, Martha quickly shoos the spirit of John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan ghost of Harriet Beecher Stowe is sent them on their way. As they leave the appears in front of him, wrapped in by J.P. Morgan to shed light on events of house and make their way through ticker tape, chains, cash boxes, keys, Scrooge’s youth. the bustling town square so, too, does padlocks, and heavy purses. In the Bob’s boss, Mr. Ebeneezer Scrooge. afterlife, Morgan is sentenced to an P.T. BARNUM (GHOST OF CHRISTMAS As Scrooge passes, he answers each eternity of suffering for his lifetime PRESENT): J.P. Morgan sends the ghost street vendor’s holiday greeting with a of greed. He tells Scrooge that while of P.T. Barnum, the traveling circus tycoon “Bah, humbug!” or an admonishment they were in business to make money, best known for “The Greatest Show on for late payments to his lending they should not have done so at the Earth,” to show Scrooge how his stinginess office. Scrooge has no sympathy for expense of their fellow man. Before has affected those around him. his clients or for the less-fortunate, Scrooge can refute him, Morgan ticks especially if they have not paid their off a list of deals in which Scrooge MARK TWAIN (GHOST OF CHRISTMAS debts on time. looked out for himself but not for FUTURE): Also summoned by J.P. Morgan, his partner. Then he tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three more the ghost of Mark Twain provides a Later that afternoon in the office, Cratchit asks to leave work early spirits before the night is over and glimpse into Scrooge’s future if he does disappears, leaving Scrooge alone in not change his ways. before the stores close; his children are waiting for him so they can buy the house, shaking in his bed. BOB CRATCHIT: Scrooge’s employee in a Christmas gift for their mother. Scrooge scolds him as a group of Scrooge drifts into sleep when his his lending business, Martha’s husband, carolers approaches the office, led by alarm clock rings out and he hears and father to Kathy and Tiny Tim. Scrooge’s nephew Harry. Harry invites another voice. This time, it is a Scrooge to Christmas dinner at his woman’s voice, and it belongs to the MARTHA CRATCHIT: Bob Cratchit’s wife home when two philanthropists, Mr. ghost of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the and mother to Kathy and Tiny Tim. Wadsworth and Mr. Sikorsky, approach Spirit of Christmas Past. The celebrated the office collecting alms for the poor. author was sent by J.P. Morgan to find KATHY CRATCHIT: Bob and Martha Scrooge, incredulous that two of his the root of Scrooge’s contempt for Cratchit’s daughter and oldest child. wealthiest colleagues would spend mankind, so she grabs him by the ear their time helping the poor, refuses and transports him to a schoolhouse TINY TIM: Bob and Martha Cratchit’s to help and storms to the back of his in 1867. Stowe and Scrooge watch the son who must walk with crutches due to office. Scrooge almost has reached scene inside the schoolhouse unfold. illness. the end of his rope when Kathy and The school master has a student over Tiny Tim Cratchit bound through the his knee, spanking him with a switch; HARRY: Scrooge’s nephew who wishes his office door. He gives Bob one more Scrooge recognizes the boy as himself uncle was not so cynical. task before letting him leave while he at 15 years old. Soon it is clear that warns the children about Santa’s evil the young Ebeneezer is punished henchman, Krampus. Terrified, the for stealing candy that had, indeed, children run to their father, begging been stolen by another classmate, but to leave the office. Scrooge lets the other students and the teacher them leave and reluctantly agrees to blame him, despite his protestations. 4 SHOW SYNOPSIS (CONTINUED) KRAMPUS, the devilish To make matters worse, Ebeneezer and his despite his crutches, but Barnum enlightens counterpart to Santa Claus, sister Jen must stay at the schoolhouse for the Scrooge to the severity of the situation; takes its name from German Christmas holiday; their father is too busy for though medicine has made strides in the cure (krampen, meaning “claw”) them to go home. Once the class has gone, for polio, the Cratchits lack the money to pay and its origin from Norse Jen tries to comfort Ebeneezer to no avail; for such treatments. mythology. Said to be the Ebeneezer plots his revenge. son of Hel, a goddess who Before returning to Scrooge’s home, Barnum is the daughter of Loki and Harriet Beecher Stowe shows Scrooge shows him one more scene: a Christmas a collector of the dead, another scene from his past: William H. Eve gathering at his nephew Harry’s house. Krampus is recognized as Goodspeed’s Christmas party in 1878. They Harry asks his guests to raise a glass, and to a half-goat, half-demon see Ebeneezer as a young man of 26 years Scrooge’s surprise, he is again the subject of with his then-business partner, J.P. Morgan, a toast. Harry’s guests question his choice to responsible for punishing and his fiancée, Mr. Goodspeed’s niece toast the old miser, but Harry reminds them naughty children at Isabel. As Mr. Goodspeed finishes his holiday that his uncle Scrooge is the only family he Christmastime. Though a pre- toast, Morgan reminds Ebeneezer they have has left. The party toasts Scrooge with a wish Christian tradition with roots business to attend to at the party. Reluctantly, that they can help him find his way on his in pagan holidays, Krampus Ebeneezer leaves his future wife to approach life’s journey. Outside the house, Scrooge figures have become Mr. Goodspeed.