Chatham Players Celebrate Their 38th Anniversary Musical Production of “A Christmas Carol”

Bring the entire family and leave filled with joy! The Chatham Community Players keeps their longstanding holiday tradition alive with the 38th anniversary production of “A Christmas Carol” opening Thursday, December 3 and running until Sunday, December 20th, 2026. The production is an original musical version of the tale, adapted from Charles Dickens’ text, letters and journals, by Philip Wm. McKinley and Suzanne Buhrer. Rick Joyce of Jersey City directs the show with choreography by Katie Claire of Roselle Park, and musical direction by Judy Stanton of Millington. "A Christmas Carol” is a holiday, classic, a CCP tradition and much more - it is an urgent call to reawaken our own spirits and open our hearts to others." says Joyce. "Plus a good time and thrill ride full of songs, dances, ghosts and games."

In this version, produced exclusively at the Chatham Playhouse since 1988, Dickens serves not only as narrator, but also as characters that walk beside Scrooge during his life-changing journey through memories and premonitions. While the script remains true to the original story, the playwright also pulled from letters that Dickens wrote to family and friends. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge has become one of the most beloved of all holiday tales, and this unique production also reminds us that Dickens’ inspiration for penning the story was the needs of children, the poor and destitute, subjects that remain all too timely. Leslie Williams Ellis, Co-Producer, shared, “I had the great privilege of being in the original cast of this production at Chatham Players in 1988. Those of us involved in the original production knew we had something extraordinarily special, but I never imagined I would, again, be co-producing the show 38 years later! Our new directing team has brought fresh eyes and a fresh perspective to this beloved production, creating a renewed sense of excitement while preserving all the heart audiences have come to expect. I’m thrilled to share this holiday tradition with our audiences once again and invite a new generation to become part of its enduring legacy.”

Our talented cast includes actors from all around New Jersey playing roles too numerous to mention here, but include Scott Cagney of Dumont, Ed Faver of Roselle, Jeff Campbell of Morristown, Gus Ibranyi of West Caldwell, Donald Pauselius of Mine Hill , Rebecca Iacovitti of Summit, Tracey Lynne Haskell of Lebanon, Kat Newcombe of New Providence, Ginny S. Crooks and Amanda Regan of Bloomfield, Christina Kirk of Milburn, McKenna Burns of Chatham, Eleanore Dunn of Franklin Lakes, Brynn O’ Grady of Fanwood, and Meghan Ziemba of Readington Township.

Rounding out Joyce’s talented production team are Producers Joe DeVico of Millington, Alan Ellis, and Leslie Williams Ellis of Florham Park, Stage Manager Joëlle Bochner of Springfield, Scenic Designer Roy Pancirov of Convent Station, Lighting Designer & Sound & Projection Designer Joe DeVico of Millington, Costume Designer Beth Amiano Gleason of Boonton, Scenic Artist Dean Sickler of Martinsville, and Props & Decoration by Carol Saso of Berkeley Heights.

A Popular Holiday Tradition

This marks the 23rd time in 38 years that the Chatham Players has produced this show. From 1988-1995, the group produced the show every December, and it now produces the show on a biennial basis. This unique production has become a popular family tradition for many in the area – entertaining more than 38,000 audience members since 1988.

The show will have audience members leaving the theatre with the "true Christmas spirit," and will remind each and every one of them to embrace the joy and happiness associated with the holiday season. Our continued productions of “A Christmas Carol” are not only a holiday present, but a present that keeps on giving throughout the year and throughout the years. This production finds some fresh surprises, insights, laughs and tears in Dickens’ tale, and keeps its cast of 15 very busy. Come be part of the theater magic that is A Christmas Carol. You will leave uplifted.

Performance dates are December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18 & 19 at 8PM and December 6, 13 & 20 at 3PM. All performances are at the Chatham Playhouse, 23 North Passaic Avenue, in Chatham. Online Ticket Presale is $27 for Adults & $24 for Seniors/Students with In-person Purchase Day of the Show is $30 for Adults & $27 for Seniors/Students.

Tickets can be purchased online by accessing the theater’s online ticketing service, where you can now reserve your particular seat, simply go to chathamplayers.org. The service is available 24 hours a day. For information regarding Tickets, please call the box office number at (973) 635-7363. Patrons with special needs requiring seating accommodations should contact the Playhouse at least 24 hours prior to the performance. Without prior notice, accommodations cannot be guaranteed.