Juan Rodriguez rehearses for TampaRep’s 2025 presentation of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Credit: c/o Tampa Repertory Theatre
“If it ain’t broke, right?” says Tampa Repertory Theatre Managing Artistic Producer Jim Sorensen, who adapted and directs the company’s radio-fied version of the Dickens classic.
“The stage setup will feel very familiar to anyone who attended ‘Wonderful Life’ last year: a cozy ‘radio theatre’ vibe, complete with On Air and Applause signs, microphones, a piano and a couple of large foley tables, along with a Christmas tree or two. Emphasis on cozy. We’ve expanded our foley repertoire this year, combing through the script to find almost any mentioned sound, and we’ve even acquired a waterphone. Trust me that, even if you don’t know what it is now, you’ll LOVE it.”
The cast for ‘A Christmas Carol’ at TampaRep
The cast is led by Michael Gregory as Scrooge, who shone as the curmudgeonly Mr. Potter in “Wonderful Life.” Cameron Kubly, last year’s George Bailey, plays Scrooge’s nephew and the Ghost of Christmas Present. Other cast members include Alix Faulhaber (who co-starred memorably with Sorensen in The Off-Central’s “Bakersfield Mist” earlier this season), Keith Batchelor Jr., Max Carley, and Sydney Leary. The music and most of the sound effects will be handled by Juan Rodriguez, the Best of the Bay-winning music director for the TampaRep musicals “Next to Normal” and “The Bridges of Madison County.”
“I chose my favorite parts of the story,” says Sorensen. “None of the other adaptations I’m familiar with include all the specific passages that we’ll be using.” A veteran of eight separate productions in five different versions of “Carol,” he knows whereof he adapts.
“It’s definitely ‘A Christmas Carol’—a ghost story with snarky Dickens humor and the beautiful story of redemption.”
If you go see ‘A Christmas Carol’ at TampaRep
This article appears in Nov. 27 – Dec. 03, 2025.
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