Genesius Theatre presents a true holiday classic with a “Dickensy Twist”, a locally customized original musical.
This is the story of the journey this fun-family musical took from 2008 at Genesius, to Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut in 2017, to the Redhouse Performing Arts Center in Syracuse, NY, in 2019, and now back again to Genesius, opening December 10, 2021.
“If you want to honor the Christmas spirit while taking pride in your town, city or state, then I can’t recommend this show highly enough.”
– Hunter Foster – Broadway/Regional Actor, Director, Writer
“This is such a delightful show written by wonderful L J Fecho and Michael O’Flaherty”
- Robert Cuccioli – Broadway & Television/Film Actor
GENESIUS THEATRE in association with the Wyomissing Foundation & Sweet Street Desserts, presents a holiday classic with a “Dickensy” twist at Genesius this December. A Berks County Christmas Carol is a rebuffed, revamped, redecorated, localized, and customized version of the Dickens’ holiday classic, written and adapted by Genesius Artistic Director, L J Fecho, and composed by Genesius cofounder and Broadway/Regional Music Director/Composer, Michael O’Flaherty. Orchestrations are by Dan DeLange. The production is directed and produced by L J Fecho.
Back in 1971, Michael O’Flaherty co-founded, along with the late Jane Simmon Miller, Genesius Theatre. Michael was in his early twenties, and I was just thirteen years old when I found my way to this very special theater that opened its arms to young people, encouraging them to explore every facet of musical theatre. This was the beginning of a life-long friendship. In later years, a second theatrical collaboration evolved when I talked Michael into writing a musical about Genesius’ fabled early days, called, appropriately, GENESIUS, The Musical. The show was presented in 2007 at Festival of New Musicals at The Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and was subsequently showcased in New York City the following summer.
Michael and I were not writers by trade, although we had dabbled in the process throughout the years. But after GENESIUS, we had caught the “creating-bug” and wanted to write something else. I had been the Artistic Director at Genesius Theatre for over a decade, and I was looking for an annual production of A Christmas Carol. Many of the versions I found had already been presented several times in the Reading area, and, to be honest, we were looking for something where we wouldn’t have to pay royalties. Since Reading is in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, I thought it would be unique to take this classic story and set it in Berks County. The “Belsnickel” is a sort of “Bad Santa” etched in Germanic folklore, and from that character concept, Michael and I created The Belsnickel Scrooge, a Pennsylvania Dutch version of A Christmas Carol set in Reading during the Great Depression.
Approximately eight years ago, Michael mentioned that Goodspeed was looking for a holiday production to call their own, and I jumped right on that and suggested that we take the coveted Dickens’ tale and transplant our Pennsylvania Dutch version of the musical to Central Connecticut—Hartford/East Haddam. We decided to set the show on the stage of the Goodspeed Opera House in 1925. The premise is that Mr. Goodspeed himself has requested that legendary Connecticut actor and original Sherlock Holmes (and hometown boy) William Gillette play Scrooge in a final production of A Christmas Carol before the Opera House is shuttered for good. After doing extensive research, I discovered that the great showman P. T. Barnum, and satirist Mark Twain not only lived in Central Connecticut at one time, but they knew each other and were also friendly with William Gillette. Those historical figures created the very foundation for the ghosts that visit Scrooge on that fateful Christmas Eve. To add to the fun, J.P. Morgan, the influential Hartford financier, visits Scrooge as the musical’s new version of Jacob Marley. All the other classic Dickens’ characters are on hand, too, such as Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Scrooge’s nephew Harry, and his sister Jen, to name a few.
Taking a page from the late, great Broadway librettist Peter Stone’s theatrical playbook (1776, Titanic), I appropriated Gillette’s, Morgan’s, Barnum’s, and Twain’s humorous and often-times thought-provoking quotations. I stitched them together throughout the scenes so their sage advice and comedic mockery of old Scrooge, entwined with Michael’s inspiring music and lyrics, made for a lighthearted, amusing, and very special holiday experience!
In our first-year tryout of this new musical, Michael and I couldn’t wait to see how audiences would react to this unique retelling of the Dickens’ story. Their unanimous overall reaction to the show was nothing short of overwhelmingly wonderful. We had successfully created a new version of A Christmas Carol without taking anything away from the soul-searching, heartfelt, life-affirming message found in the original book.
It was so exciting to see our worked performed by a professional cast of extremely talented actors, which included Robert Cuccioli, (Broadways original Jekyll & Hyde), as Scrooge. The show was masterfully directed by Broadway/Regional actor and director, Hunter Foster, beautifully choreographed by Broadway/Regional choreographer, Lisa Shriver, wonderfully musical directed by Genesius alumnus, Dan Pardo, with exquisite orchestrations by Dan DeLange. The musical ran for three-sold-out holiday seasons at Goodspeed prior to Covid shutting us down.
In 2019, Hunter Foster, our director, asked us if we could customize the show for the Redhouse Performing Arts Center in Syracuse, NY, where he was the artistic director. We jumped at the opportunity, and it starred Fred Grandy, (Gopher of TV’s The Love Boat fame), and a diverse cast of professional and amateur actors. It also was a sold-out hit, but unfortunately Covid reared its ugly head two months later and we only got to present the show for one season.
Thinking long term, Michael and I have high hopes that this magical Christmas story will become a tradition at many theaters across the United States, and maybe around the world. Michael and I are extremely grateful to Genesius Theatre for supporting us and kicking off our great adventure into writing musicals shows. It’s exciting to have this opportunity for “The Belsnickel Scrooge” to come full circle with our current production of “A Berks County Christmas Carol”.
Since “the gift is the present,” it’s our sincerest wish that you and all our fellow Berks Countians will embrace our new version of A Christmas Carol that features this great city and county, and the wonderful people in it, as we hope you make this your newest holiday tradition! GenesiusDifference.org
HAPPY HOLIDAYS & GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!!!
GENESIUS’ “A BERKS COUNTY CHRISTMAS CAROL” RUNNING DECEMBER 10 THROUGH 19!
Genesius also is presenting a special SENSORY FRIENDLY PRODUCTION on Sunday, December 19th at 10:00 AM, in association with THE AUTISM SOCIETY OF BERKS COUNTY. Tickets can be purchased through the Autism Society. This performance is developed by Emily Lynch & Kelly Snyder.
The Genesius 2021/2022 Season is sponsored by Sweet Street Desserts and the show is sponsored by The Wyomissing Foundation. Through a special grant from the Wyomissing Foundation, Genesius is offering 250 FREE TICKETS to FRONTLINE WORKERS over the course of the 10-performance run!!! To reserve these tickets please write to [email protected], and include your phone number and possible dates/times you would like to attend the show and a Genesius representative will get back to you.
SHOW DATES/TIMES: DECEMBER 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 2021
Friday, Wednesday & Thursday at 7:30 PM, Saturday’s at 2:00 & 7:30 PM, Sunday’s at 3:00 PM.
*Ticket Range: $17.50-$32.50
GENESIUS COVID-19 POLICY – MASKS REQUIRED FOR THE AUDIENCE. Please Note: The cast and crew will not be wearing masks, but all front of house Genesius volunteers will be.
RATING: A BERKS COUNTY CHRISTMAS CAROL – is rated G – Family oriented – Some scary moments – may not be ideal for very young children. Fog, haze, strobing lights, and loud sound effects are part of the production. For tickets, additional information, and the show’s online playbill, visit www.genesiusdifference.org.
Genesius is a 501-C-3 Non-profit organization. The theatre is located at 153 N. 10th St., Reading, PA, and is accessible. Free parking is available (limited spaces available) next to the theatre. For more info call the theatre at 610.371.8151.
ABOUT MICHAEL O’FLAHERTY (Ebenezer Scrooge & Composer Lyricist) After leaving Genesius in the late 1970’s and re-locating to NYC, he worked at Playwrights Horizons, The Whole Theatre, The Acting Company, The Chelsea Theatre Center, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C., The Smithsonian Institution, and The Kennedy Center. He also became the Music Director and Cabaret Director of the famed Williamstown (Massachusetts) Theatre Festival for eleven seasons, working with celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Christopher Reeve, Celeste Holm, Frank Langella, Richard Dreyfuss, and Joanne Woodward. On Broadway he has conducted Andrew Lloyd Weber’s BY JEEVES, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, and composed the score for Nikos Psacharopoulos’ production of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Off-Broadway he was musical supervisor, arranger, and performer for Carol Hall’s TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, directed by legendary Golden Age of Hollywood actress, Geraldine Fitzgerald. Michael recently retired after 28 years as Resident Music Director of the renowned Goodspeed Opera House. While there he conducted more than 100 musicals, working with many of Broadway’s best directors, actors, and producers.
ABOUT – L J FECHO (Artistic Director, Producer, Book Writer) – Lawrence Fecho is currently the Artistic Director of Genesius Theatre, where he began his theatrical career in 1971 at the age of twelve. Since taking the helm in 2005, he has directed over sixty productions and produced over hundred. He started his professional career as a staff assistant for the late-great Broadway Producer, Alexander H. Cohen, and consequently worked on three Broadway productions and the 1977 Tony Awards, He has also worked in management/marketing positions at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Goodspeed Musicals, The Hudson Guild Theatre, The Manhattan Theatre Club, La Mamma, The Watery Star Theatre, and the Fulton Theatre. He co-produced Williamstown’s annual New York City Cabaret Benefits at Studio 54 and The Palladium and assisted the producer of the late Carol Hall’s Off-Broadway musical, To Whom It May Concern. His TV Pilot Script, Great White Way, was a winner in the Summer-2020 Big Apple Screenplay Competition, A Gold Winner in the Fall-2020 WRPN-TV Screenplay Competition, a quarter finalist in the Summer-2020 LA International Screenplay Competition, a finalist in Winter-2021 LA International Screenplay Competition, and recently the top WINNER in the NY International Screenplay Competition.
PHOTO CREDIT – Don Carrick of Studio 413 & Zack Spadaccia
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