A Christmas Carol | Artmas 2020 – Lauren Michele's Art Blog 🎨

❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️

Welcome to Artmas 2020! I definitely felt the pressure choosing artists this year because all of you deserve a decadent treat after the year we just survived. It’s too early to call, but I think this is going to be the best year yet. I’m starting off with the classic Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol told through three different formats: a ballet, a play, & a radio play. I must warn you that one of these productions requires the purchase of a good old fashioned ticket. I know that might be a bummer to some, but theaters are struggling & need our help. Whether you’ve binged a show on Netflix or blasted music on Spotify or watched a musical on YouTube, you’ve relied on the arts to get you through this rough year. It’s time to give back & say thank you! I am featuring three productions, but feel free to do your own research & find one that suits you. As long as you do something to support the arts, that’s all that matters. On with the show!

❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️ ⛄ 🕯️ 🎄 🎁 ❄️

🎟 The Czech National Ballet presents The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol 🩰

Source: https://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/en/ensembles/ballet?t=1736223

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

I’m taking a huge risk with this production because I haven’t actually seen it yet. The Czech National Ballet is offering the world a treat by streaming their ballet mash-up of two classic Christmas stories: A Christmas Carol & The Nutcracker. It will air on TV in the Czech Republic & stream on YouTube on Monday, December 21st, at 11am PST ( 9am HST | 10am AKST | 12pm MST | 1pm CST | 2pm EST ); the YouTube stream will be available until December 27th for additional viewing. It’s definitely not normal for me to feature a production I’ve never seen, but it looks like a gorgeous ballet so I’m going with my gut. We can experience it together, & then decide if it stays or goes. I have a good feeling it will stay! Here’s a brief synopsis to explain how the two stories are combined:

“Clara is the daughter of Bob Cratchit. He in turn is clerk to Ebenezer Scrooge, a man whose miserly ways have made him come to hate Christmas and everything it represents: friendship, kindness and compassion. Scrooge fires Cratchit on Christmas Eve (something that even Dickens’ Scrooge isn’t cruel enough to do). As a result, the clerk cannot afford to buy Clara the nutcracker doll she longs for, while Scrooge is left to wrestle with his conscience and the warnings of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.” – Source

📝 December 21st Update: I just finished watching the livestream of The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol, & it was a wonderful production. There were only a few things I didn’t like. The devil part was a bit jarring, although I understand it represented Scrooge’s nightmares. I also didn’t care for some of the variations, specifically the Arabian & Chinese variations; some of the style choics were . . . interesting. Moving on to what I did like. The sets were breathtaking, especially the village & the winter wonderland. I loved Scrooge as a character, danced by Marek Svobodník; he was reminiscent of Jim Carrey’s Grinch with much more humor than the usual portrayal. Ayaka Fujii & Adam Zvonař were fantastic as Clara & the Nutcracker respectively; their pas de deux was stunning! Nikola Márová as the Christmas Fairy enchanted me & stole the show. Her white costume, her candle crown, her beautiful dancing. BRAVISSIMA!! 👏 👏 👏 Remember that the livestream is available for F R E E on YouTube until December 27th. This mash-up of classic Christmas stories is a must-see. Try & catch all the ways they blend together. I’ll get you started: Some of the villagers dance as other characters in Scrooge’s dream, & there are hints about who they are (e.g. Mrs. Cratchit’s wreath with candles). Another change is Scrooge being guided through a winter wonderland by the Christmas Fairy instead of Clara traveling through the Land of Sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy. That’s all I’ll give away! You’ll have to watch the performance yourself to see the rest. Enjoy!

‼️ ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL DECEMBER 27TH ‼️

➡️ Watch for Free Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgNaCmkvDAg&t=1133s ⬅️

• 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 •

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbnnRD9pk_Q

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgNaCmkvDAg&t=1133s

• 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 •

🌟 Please support the Czech National Ballet:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Website

• YouTube

🎟 Ohio Shakespeare Festival presents A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play 📻

Source: https://twitter.com/ohioshakes/status/1328350610433912835

OH EM GEE! This radio-friendly version of A Christmas Carol is perfect for people who love audiobooks & podcasts. The production is made up of music, sound effects, & voices. There are also commercials for two small businesses partnered with OSF: The Buckle & Rose & The Macbath. Yesterday I had a long day of computer work so I played staves 1 & 2 on my iPad; before I knew it they were done, & I was left wanting more. There are four staves total, & they’ve been premiering every Saturday. I can’t wait for stave 3 on December 19th!

Price: Free | Donations are welcome if you’re able!

➡️ Donate Here: http://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com/donate ⬅️

• 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 •

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkrxY_mAauQ

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i38PKktf3JA

⚠️ December 19th Update: ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl72oWne13k

⚠️ December 26th Update: ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RClbxqRVkXE

• 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 • 🎼 • 🎭 • 🎟 • 🩰 •

🌟 Please support Ohio Shakespeare Festival:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

• Website

• YouTube

🎟 The Old Vic Theatre presents A Christmas Carol 🎭

Source: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on

It’s been awhile since I’ve consumed any type of theater, even pre-COVID, so impulsively buying a ticket & setting an alarm to watch the Old Vic Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol made me feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I’m so glad I listened to my heart because this play is so beautiful. It opens with God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen played on the bells & ends with Silent Night, also performed with bells; the first made me smile, & the second made me cry. The staging is simple, & choreographed camerawork is used so the actors remain six feet apart. This might sound like a turn off to some, but the acting was so spectacular that I didn’t even miss all the bells & whistles. Andrew Lincoln was incredible; I especially loved his interactions with his sister Fanny, played by Melissa Allan, & his past love Belle, played by Gloria Obianyo. The entire cast was fantastic; not one single weak link in the bunch! Run, don’t walk, to the Old Vic website & buy your ticket(s) before the show closes on Christmas Eve. Here are your remaining opportunities to see it: