Happy holidays, Natchez and the Miss-Lou! Natchez Little Theatre is ready to add to your holiday festivities with its original family holiday musical production of “A Natchez Christmas Carol,” by Layne Taylor adapted from the Charles Dickens’ classic.

The story is set in Natchez in 1869, with historical Natchez figures, period Christmas carols and costumes to make an enjoyable family outing for the holidays!

“A Natchez Christmas Carol” will be at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 7 and 14; Saturdays, Dec. 8 and 15; and Tuesday, Dec. 11. Two Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16 at the Natchez Little Theatre at 319 Linton Ave. at Maple Street in Natchez and all tickets are $15.

There will be a benefit/preview performance on Thursday for NLT’s Dawn Taylor Memorial Youth Scholarship with $10 tickets and all proceeds will go toward the annual $500 scholarship NLT gives a local area youth to help with college tuition. Cathedral School and the Amite County Learning Center will be attending a Wednesday student matinee.

This beloved Christmas tale is about Jacob Marley, who died on Christmas Eve seven years prior and left his home and his half of the cotton brokerage firm to his partner, Ebenezer Scrooge.

Marley was a stingy old man, and Scrooge happily carries on the tradition. Scrooge doesn’t believe in charity, and he is certain that those who do are just lazy and looking for a handout.

Scrooge’s entire life is money and his business. He shuts out his nephew who is the only relative he has, and he makes his employee, a freed slave named Bob Cratchit’s life miserable.

But Scrooge, played by award-winning actor, Don Vesterse, is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, played by Dwight Williams, who warns him that if he continues to live his life in such an un-Christian and uncharitable way, he will spend all eternity trying to make up for it.

Three other ghosts, played by Morgan Mizell, Lee Dellinger and Adrienne St. John, show Scrooge the error of his ways. Because of what he sees and learns, Scrooge opens his heart to the people around him, especially toward the Cratchits and their crippled son, Tiny Tim, played by adorable, award-winning actor, Caleb Curtis, and learns charity and love.

Throughout the show, popular Christmas songs such as “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Silent Night,” “Here We Come a Caroling,” “Joy to the World,” “Hark the Herald,” “Christmas is Coming,” “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” “What Child is This,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” add additional holiday flavor to what has become a Natchez holiday tradition!

I am directing a very talented cast of newcomers and veterans with an incredible orchestration created by the late Tommy Jackson. Don Vesterse has created beautiful and colorful holiday sets.

Benta’ Thomas portrays Bob Cratchit; LaCourtney Harness is Mrs. Cratchit and the Cratchit children are played by Christina Givens, Patricia Ware and Marquez Christmas.

Scrooge’s nephew is played by Tyler Brown with Deborah Tomaine as his wife, Eliza, and Tori Tomaine, as her sister, Olivia.

Lee Dellinger is Mr. Fezziwig and Arden McMillin is Belle Fezziwig. Dwight Williams plays the young Jacob Marley; with Lee Dellinger as Ebenezer as a young man and Amelia Orlando as his little sister, Fan.

The citizens of 1869 Natchez are portrayed by Lenifer Adams, Jaelin Jones, Mike Thomas, Jordan Waller and Matthew Starr.

The box office opens one hour prior to each performance and reservations are highly recommended by calling NLT at 601-442-2233 or toll free at 1-877-440-2233.

You may purchase tickets online at www.natcheztheatre.org.

May your holidays be merry and blessed, and I hope you will bring your family and friends to Natchez Little Theatre in December to enjoy “A Natchez Christmas Carol!”

God bless us everyone!

 

Lynn Mann is the director of “A Natchez Christmas Carol” and the vice president of production on the Natchez Little Theatre Board of Directors.