Ebenezer Scrooge has set the standard for Christmastime villains, his name associated with stinginess, misanthropy and abhorrence of the holidays. His cruelty is so blatant and his exploitation of others so cavalier that the spirit world takes notice and sends several powerful messengers to do something about it. In the classic Charles Dickens Victorian-era morality tale, A Christmas Carol, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future take Scrooge on a journey through time and try to convince him to change his selfish ways or suffer the consequences of a cold and lonely fate. Two large-scale fully-mounted traveling productions of A Christmas Carol are presented by two different companies at Ruth Eckerd Hall and Mahaffey Theater this weekend. Sat., Dec. 22, 2 and 7 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N. McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater, $25-$42, 727-791-7400, rutheckerdhall.com; and Sun., Dec. 23, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg, $22-$32, 727-898-2100, mahaffeytheater.com.
This article appears in Dec 19-25, 2007.