Can you believe we’re looking ahead to the festive season already? There are some things you just know you need to book early, and thisis one of those.
Disneyâs much loved 1992 musical comedy, THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, is to be presented live in concert this winter across the UK, featuring its music score performed live to the film.
Kicking off in Glasgow just ahead of Christmas, the tour is to include stops in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Manchester and here in Cardiff on the 30th November.
With an immensely popular debut tour last year, including multiple sell outs, the beloved Christmas movie will be brought to life by a hand-picked ensemble of star performers.
The original score was composed by Miles Goodman (âDirty Rotten Scoundrels,â âLittle Shop of Horrorsâ) with songs by Oscar®, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning songwriter Paul Williams (âRainbow Connection,â âEvergreenâ).
The Muppet Christmas Carol has been entertaining us for over 30 years now, proving that our favourite Muppets characters plus a Charles Dickens classic is a recipe for Christmas movie magic.
The festive film sees Kermit, Miss Piggy and co take on A Christmas Carol, heading back in time to Victorian London for a musical spin on Dickens’s 1843 novella.
Michael Caine stars alongside the Muppet gang as Ebeneezer Scrooge, the mean-spirited moneylender who hates all things Christmassy.
Kermit the Frog being played by Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, and Gonzo, as Dickens, narrates the story with the help of Rizzo the Rat.
Talking about this Christmas classic, Michael Caine said……
“I watch it all the time with the kids, I think itâs the funniest of the lot. But then I would, wouldnât I? And I see it every year, because itâs on television every year at Christmas. I just saw it in the TV guide. Itâs a good, fun film for kids. And of course it can never grow old, unlike me.”
Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases – past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.
On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghosts of his former business partners, Jacob and Robert Marley (played, of course, by Statler and Waldorf), who implore him to learn from their mistakes and change his ways while he can.
They warn Scrooge that he will be visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future over the coming hours to show him where he has been going wrong, and where his miserly behaviour might lead him in the future. Cue plenty of Muppet antics and some brilliant songs.
Explaining why he initially said yes to the beloved movie, Michael said he was keen to make something that his daughter could watch, as most of the movies in his filmography werenât exactly suitable for a younger audience.
âA man mentioned the Muppets and I said, â?Thatâs it! Iâll do that!
I could make it, and my daughter could see it. Thatâs why I did it. And it was lovely.
Scrooge sings badly, and itâs fine! Itâs funny! I wasnât ashamed of it. I thought I was going to make a fool of myself but it didnât matter, because itâs Muppets, you know.â
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL gets to St David’s Hall in Cardiff on Thursday 30th November. Now this may seem like a long way off but put this classic film together with a live orchestra and you have a sure fire festive classic night. For more details and to get tickets, go HERE.
Pre sale happens tomorrow (Thursday) with general sale on Friday.
