Category: Art

The spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future return to Blackburn Performing Arts  in the  annual production of Ian McColl’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” featuring a cast of 40 residents from Cape Ann.
The family-friendly show features caroling and dancing as the story of Ebenezer Scrooge unfolds. The audience will watch as Scrooge transforms from his miserly ways to a man eager to share in the tradition of giving. The spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future lead him on a mystical journey through which he discovers the true meaning of Christmas.
This year’s production features writer/director  Ian McColl as Scrooge,  Daniel Diamond in two roles, as Bob Cratchit as well as the spirit of Jacob Marley and Evie Gariepy as Mrs. Cratchit. The cast includes children, teens and adults in an array of roles including angels, urchins, spirits, townspeople, and of course the Cratchit family, including Tiny Tim who is being played by O’Maley student Jack Favazza.
Actors as young as 4 and as old as 60 are working together to tell this story to their Gloucester audience. The ghost scenes are not too scary, and the show is appropriate even for the youngest audience members – and, of course, it comes with a big happy ending.
McColl is thrilled when he sees former alumni return to see the production as part of the audience, and has  been looking  forward to the day when the next generation of children would carry on the tradition of their parents by taking part in the annual show. This year Bailee Militello, who is playing an angel, is the daughter of Brianna Saunders Militello, who played an angel and a Cratchit child in this production 15 years ago, fulfills McColl’s dream. 
The cast will perform the show a seven times over the next two weeks when the words of Dickens once again will ring out under the stage spotlight.
Cast: Isaac Aiello, Bonnie Barrish, Anna Bonacorso, Alexis Brown, Zach Brown, Briana Bruni, Katie Burke, Richard Crowell, Jake D’Ambrosio, Zach DaSilva, Daniel Diamond, Alexis Exama, Jada Exama, Marissa Exama, Jack Favazza, Evie Gariepy, Christina Giambanco, Rosalia Giambanco, Alicia Gibney, Ava Glass, Belle Graves, Alexandra Legendre, Jessica Lupo, Melodey Mathews, Clara Mazo, Victor Mazo, Molly McCarthy, Ian McColl, Bailee Militello, Stefanie Millefoglie,  Allie-Rose Nicastro, Linda York Robbins, Olivia Rodier, Sabrina Siragusa, Rachel Sternlicht, Sarah Urbanski, and Nancy Williams.
What: Ian McColl’s adaption of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
Where: Blackburn Performing Arts at 1 Washington St. in the Blackburn Building in Gloucester
When:  Opening on Friday December 10th at 7:30 p.m. Performances are scheduled for Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through Dec. 19th. Tickets are available at the door.  $12.00 for adults and $10 for students and 65+
Photo 1: Alexis Brown, Daniel Diamond, Jack Favazza, Evie Gariepy, and Belle Graves as the Cratchits

Photo 2: Cast Photo