Carol of the Ghosts

It's only a matter of time before some total genius turns A Christmas Story into a stage production, or better yet, a jaunty musical. The score will include a selection of instant hits such as "C Plus," "I Double Dog Dare You" and, of course, "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out." But until that day comes we'll have to settle for the Christmas classics of our forefathers, i.e. yet another reworking of A Christmas Carol. It has been presented as everything from an opera to a radio play to—get this—a book. Now distinguished lyricist Lynn Ahrens and celebrated composer Alan Menken have taken their turn at Charles Dickens' ultimate Christmas ghost story and it is absolutely yule-tastic, folks. You know the drill: Ebenezer Scrooge is a Grade-A jerk-ass, is haunted by spirits of past, present and future, and then changes his ways by buying a goose for the family of a crippled kid. Only this time the entire cast is nude. Okay, we made that last part up. Casa Mañana's presentation of Radio City Music Hall's A Christmas Carol runs from Friday through December 29 at the Bass Performance Hall, Fourth and Calhoun streets in Fort Worth. Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday with additional 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $27 to $75. Call 817-332-2272 or visit casamanana.org.
Saturdays, Sundays, 2 p.m.; Wednesdays-Sundays, 7 p.m. Starts: Dec. 22. Continues through Dec. 29, 2007