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Celebrate the holidays with Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With A Twist a modern-day take on Charles Dickens’ beloved 1843 novella. Estella Scrooge features a book by John Caird (Les Misérables, Nicholas Nickleby) and Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice), music and lyrics by Gordon and direction by Caird. This virtual cinematic musical theatre adventure was planned and digitally captured entirely during the pandemic utilizing cutting-edge technology. Estella Scrooge is available to stream on Broadway on Demand and Streaming Musicals.
The official trailer for Estella Scrooge is available HERE. Also visit
Having premiered in 2020, the fully-realized production was filmed using a green screen with hundreds of images, animations and digital environments blended in post-production with the footage of the actors to bring the story magically to life. Estella Scrooge also wittily incorporates characters and plot lines from Dickens’ other great novels, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House, among others. Estella Scrooge is a 2021 Telly Award Winner, which honor excellence in video and television across all screens.
Betsy Wolfe (Waitress) stars as Estella Scrooge, a descendent of her famous great great great great grandfather Ebenezer. Clifton Duncan (The Play That Goes Wrong) stars as Philip ‘Pip’ Nickleby. 2020 Tony Award winner Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill) stars as Dawkins. The production also features Tony Award nominees Patrick Page (Hadestown) as Mr. Merdle, Carolee Carmello (Parade) as Marla Havisham and 2020 Tony Award Winner Danny Burstein as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Estella Scrooge (Wolfe) is a young Wall Street tycoon with a penchant for foreclosing. A hotelier in her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio has defaulted on his mortgage and Estella fancies the idea of lowering the boom personally. Arriving at Harthouse on Christmas Eve, Estella discovers that the defaulting party is her childhood sweetheart, Pip Nickleby (Duncan). A good and generous soul, Pip has transformed the property into a refuge for the sick, dispossessed and homeless. A freak snowstorm forces Estella to take refuge. That night, just as it happened to her ancestor Ebenezer, she is haunted by three visitations…and oh, what uninvited houseguests they are!
The cast also includes Megan McGinnis (Little Women) as Betty Cratchit, Adam Halpin (Dear Evan Hansen) as Bob Cratchit, Sarah Litzsinger (Beauty and the Beast) as Sissy Jupe, Tom Nelis (The Visit) as Dedlock, Em Grosland (Emotional Creature) as Smike, Phoenix Best (Dear Evan Hansen) as Charity & Mercy, David Bryant (Original Marius in Broadway’s Les MisérablesT) as Mr. Podsnap, Gabrielle Reid (Beautiful: The Carol King Musical) as Mrs. Pumblechook, Samuel Lee Roberts (Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular) as Mr. Flopson, Michael Francis McBride (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) as Mr. Dombey, Michele Lee (Nutcracker Rouge) as Mrs. Noggs, Kristen Faith Oei (Diana) as Ms. Skiffins, Meg Gibson (The Gabriels) as Molly, William Youmans (To Kill A Mockingbird) as Magwitch & Bagstock, Kevyn Morrow (Moulin Rouge!) as Jasper Jaggers, Joziyah Jean-Felix (The Lion King) as Young Pip, Brooklyn Shuck (“Evil”) as Young Essy and Willow McCarthy (The Ferryman) as Tiny Tammy.
Estella Scrooge features musical supervision by Brad Haak (Mary Poppins), choreography by Natalie Lomonte (Every Woman Biennial) and casting by Tara Rubin Casting (Dear Evan Hansen). Director of photography and editor is Tyler Milliron (StreamingMusicals’ Pride and Prejudice), production art design is by Zach Wilson (Beauty and the Beast), costume design is by Somie Pak (“Mélange”), hair and makeup design is by Dena Olivieri (Forbidden Steps) and props design is by Katherine White (Streaming Musicals’ Marry Harry).
In a joint statement, Caird and Gordon said, “We are so thrilled to continue the tradition of Estella Scrooge, having premiered the film during last year’s holiday season. Our goal was always to let audiences experience A Christmas Carol through fresh eyes and a new perspective, and as the country slowly opens up with live performances, we are thrilled to be able to continue to showcase some of Broadway’s best actors, singers, and dancers. Refashioning the classic Christmas Carol story with a new twist for today, our hope is that this fresh take will open minds and fill hearts with joy.”
Broadway on Demand has streamed over 2,500 events and live productions—from Broadway shows to concert series, performance venues to individual artists, and original content.
For over three years, Streaming Musicals has been creating content that is a hybrid between theatre and film, with in-theatre and soundstage captures that provide worldwide access to musicals that would not be as widely seen otherwise. In April, over 160,000 people watched the premiere of StreamingMusicals’ production of Paul Gordon’s musical adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
photos by Tyler Milliron
