In 1843, England was in an economic depression and yuletide cheer seemed to belong to a bygone era. Through the publication of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens intended to call out the social injustice of the period, but his little ghost story did more than that. Eager to recapture the holiday spirit, A Christmas Carol […]
From the archives: this article was originally published in 2022; updated in 2026 Mulled wine, apple cider, hot chocolate, and eggnog are all heralded as holiday beverage favorites. But have you ever tried wassail? This centuries-old drink is a traditional part of caroling and the holiday season in Britain. Made with fruit juices and lots […]
Acting has been around for centuries and over time evolved into different forms. One popular form is acting for the screen. While traditional theatre tells stories from start to finish, performing the same show each night for a different audience, film and television are produced by stitching together scenes, often doing take after take until […]
DCPA: Was the music industry receptive to your idea of a Christmas album? CD: Everyone in the music industry back in 1984 told me, “A Christmas album? You can’t do that. Only artists who have run out of ideas ever do a Christmas album.” But you know me. When someone says, “It’ll never work” […]
21st annual new play festival to feature four readings on February 20-21, 2027 The Denver Center Theatre Company (DCTC) unveils the selected playwrights and full lineup for the 2027 Colorado New Play Summit (CNPS), its nationally recognized festival for new play development. The event is taking place over one weekend on February 20-21, and features readings […]
By Dan Sullivan He wrote it for the money. Not just for the money, of course: Charles Dickens was no Grub Street hack. Still, his family was growing, he was behind on his bills and his latest novel, Martin Chuzzlewit, wasn’t selling as expected. “A little book for the Christmas trade” might be just the […]
By Anthony Powell, Director of A Christmas Carol Like many people, I fell in love with A Christmas Carol long before actually getting a chance to read Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday novel. And it wasn’t a stage adaptation that first introduced me to this wonderful story, or even one of the many film versions […]
By Diane Snyder Forget about show-stopping finales. In Jersey Boys, the smash-hit musical about the rise and fall of The Four Seasons, the pinnacle of excitement comes about 45 minutes into the first act. That’s when back-to-back presentations of three of the group’s biggest hits — “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a […]
Matt Hemley explores how Jersey Boys made it to the stage and why it remains a firm fan favorite 20 years since Jersey Boys first burst onto the Broadway stage, the much-loved musical about four blue-collar kids who formed an iconic, red-suited group and went on to become one of the most successful boy bands […]
Music can certainly transport you to a different time and place, but if that time and place is before your time and place, you might need a bit more context. Enter the costume designer. This artist — along with the set, prop and lighting designers among others — helps to take an audience on a […]