CLO’s ‘A Musical Christmas Carol’ at the Benedum Center (Sun., 12/21/25)

A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL by David H. Bell, from the Dickens story. Pittsburgh CLO. Through December 23.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is considered schmaltz by some and high art by many others. In Japan, the novella has been viewed as one of the great works of English literature—“possibly in a league with Hamlet,” as one Japanese scholar wrote. Therefore it takes a formidable actor to play Ebenezer Scrooge on stage, and in Pittsburgh CLO’s annual production of A Musical Christmas Carol, this year it’s Denis O’Hare. The Tony Award-winner and Emmy nominee is best known for his spooky roles. On TV, O’Hare played vampire king Russell Edgington in HBO’s True Blood series. On Broadway he was Charles Guiteau, the delusional man who shot James Garfield in the Sondheim musical Assassins. Now, as Scrooge, he gets to be a villain turned world-class good guy. CLO uses a stage adaptation by David H. Bell, who wrote Hot Mikado, the jazzed-up remake of The Mikado. There is no bebop in A Musical Christmas Carol, but Bell has added some scenes that help to fill out the original tale nicely. 11 a.m and 4 p.m. Byham Theater, 101 6th St., Cultural District. (M.V.)

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