‘Tis the season

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

“A Christmas Carol,” the timeless seasonal favorite beloved for generations, opened live at the Ocala Civic Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 19, and is scheduled to run through Dec. 20. This powerful tale of redemption is as relevant as ever with its themes of love, generosity and hope for humanity.

The story plays out in the richly costumed backdrop of 1840s London capturing the world of Victorian England with all its charms and sorrows. Ebenezer Scrooge (Alex Pinkston) is a lonely old miser who cares only for money and nothing for his fellow man. But one Christmas Eve, when four ghosts visit him in the night, Scrooge sees the light and awakens to a second chance. A fiddler (James Huston) further evokes the mood of the era with traditional carols and English folk tunes.

In this faithful yet imaginative adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, five actors (Lizzy Allen, Alex Dagg, Ashlyn Gibbs, Robert Skipper and James R. Taylor III) bring to life all the other immortal characters: Marley’s ghost, the spirits of Christmas, Fezziwig and his wife, Tiny Tim and the Cratchits, and a dozen more.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for ages 18 and younger. You can buy tickets over the phone at (352) 236-2274 or in person at the box office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets online, visit ocalacivictheatre.com.