Christmas Carol Rag Archives - BAT Theatre Blog

Is there more than butts in the seats?

This is a tale of two shows. One, BAT’s current Holiday show, The Christmas Carol Rag, and the other In The Next Room, or the vibrator play which BAT produced in 2016.

The former is currently in production. The run is half over and it has sold out five performances. It looks like that trend will continue throughout the run. BAT is a small house, but a show that consistently sells out is a very good thing.

During the entire run of In the Next Room, or the vibrator play the show was seen by just over half as many people who are likely to see The Christmas Carol Rag. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.

So, by the butts in the seat measure, The Christmas Carol Rag is a better show for BAT. Right? About twice as many people will see it. Well, it may not be the best show for BAT.

The Christmas Carol Rag – 2017

Reviews Shows November 28, 2017 0Likes 0Comments

In this delightfully irreverent musical take on the Dickens classic, Ebenezer Scrooge has been recast as an embittered woman named Evelyn and moved to 1911 New York City. Evelyn runs her New York City sweatshop…

The Chistmas Carol Rag – press release

Press Releases Shows November 16, 2017 0Likes 3Comments

(Nov. 14, 2017 – Burien, WA) – Burien Actors Theatre’s holiday show, The Christmas Carol Rag, is a delightfully irreverent and moving musical comedy set in ragtime-era New York City. This reimagining of the original…

Seeking female actor of color and another female actor for musical comedy The Christmas Carol Rag

Auditions August 31, 2017 0Likes 0Comments

Burien Actors Theatre is seeking a female actor age 20-45 of color and any gender identity, gender expression and physical/mental ability to play the Gospel-singing ghost of Christmas Present in the irreverent musical comedy The Christmas Carol Rag, written by Norman Allen with musical arrangements by Howard Breitbart and featuring a female Scrooge.

BAT is also seeking a female actor age 20-35 of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression and physical/mental ability to play the ghost of Christmas Past.

Actors do not have to be in the age-range indicated, but must be convincing as someone in that age range.

The show will be performed Nov. 24 through Dec. 17, 2017 at Burien Actors Theatre.

SYNOPSIS: A delightfully irreverent take on the Dickens classic, set in the ragtime music world of rough-and-tumble New York, circa 1911. Ebenezer Scrooge has been recast as an embittered woman named Evelyn who runs her sweatshop with an iron fist, but slowly opens her heart when visited by a sarcastic Jewish Ghost of Christmas Past and a blunt Gospel-singing Ghost of Christmas Present. With Joplin-like syncopation, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future carry the miserly Mrs. Scrooge from the tough life of immigrant tenements to the amber glow of the Gilded Age. A funny and moving show that puts a new twist on a holiday classic with rousing production numbers featuring music of Irving Berlin and George M. Cohan like The Streets of New York.

The ghost of Christmas Present is an ageless, Gospel-singing, joyous spirit who is fabulous but firm. As with most of the roles in this show, Christmas Present doubles with another character: Ruthie, who is age 20-45, an immigrant worker in Scrooge’s sweatshop, a kind soul. Mezzo soprano (roughly A3 to F#5).

The ghost of Christmas Past is an ageless Yiddish-spouting spirit. As with most of the roles in the show, Christmas Past doubles with other characters: Agnes, who is age 20-35 and a Jewish immigrant in Scrooge’s sweatshop, and Edie, who is age 20-35 and a struggling playwright. All are skeptical, with a sharp wit and playfully blunt. Mezzo soprano (roughly A3 to F#5).