Redemption Song

Jacob Marley's afterlife really sucks. First he dies. Then he's assigned the most overzealous tormentor in all of limbo land. Now he has to redeem Ebenezer Scrooge in order to redeem himself?! What a bum deal. Although rewriting vintage tales is nothing new (think Wicked), Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol is a terrifying — and hilarious — reimagining of the Dickens holiday classic.

Starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Denver Victorian Playhouse, 4201 Hooker Street, Scrooge's old pal finally gets his day in the spotlight. With a four-person cast of two men and two women, a limited number of props and fluid, well-crafted narrative and dialogue, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol is a fun and fast-paced look at the man behind the chains. According to director Terry Dodd, "I think the strength in this piece is in its poetry. [Playwright] Tom Mula is really quite the wordsmith." Tickets are $18 to $22, and the show runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 23. For more information, visit www.denvervic.com or call 303-433-4343.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Nov. 16. Continues through Dec. 23, 2007