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"A Christmas Carol The Musical" Cast Members on Their Characters and What Makes the Musical Special

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<p>Some things truly never get old, like Christmas stories we encounter every year, which we may look at from different lenses each time. This is why classics like “<strong>A Christmas Carol</strong>” continue to resonate today. Based on the 1843 novel of the same name by<strong> Charles Dickens</strong>, <strong>Rockwell’s Proscenium Theater</strong> and <strong>9 Works Theatrical</strong>’s adaptation promises to hit differently with a fresh cast, featuring some of the country’s most talented theater actors. </p><p>This year’s staging of “<strong>A Christmas Carol, The Musical”</strong> is helmed by director<strong> Robbie Guevara</strong>, with music by <strong>Alan Menken</strong>, lyrics by <strong>Lynn Ahrens,</strong> and a book by <strong>Mike Ockrent </strong>and <strong>Ahrens</strong>. When asked about the fresh aspect of this upcoming adaptation, Guevara said, “So, this is my fourth time to direct the show, and I try to make it different all the time. But, we’re not changing the message, because the message, that’s always what I want to bring forward for this show: family, giving, not taking for granted what you have. The inspiration for this is—the second and third time we did it, it was not in a proper theater; we were outdoors. But now, we’re at a proper, proper theater. We also want to highlight what Proscenium can do, so we will have new things you didn’t see in ‘The Bodyguard’ that this theater can also offer.” </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQEO_U3CW34/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=720&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A519467.1000000015%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="885" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Proscenium Theater’s debut staging was “The Bodyguard The Musical” last month. It was a production that showed how state-of-the-art the 780-seater theater is. It features a fully automated fly line system that allows for seamless scene changes. “A Christmas Carol, The Musical” will also incorporate other elements of the theater that will further highlight its features. “There’s more that it [the theater] can do,” added Guevara, saying that those considerations served as a starting point for conceptualizing the musical with a fresh perspective that utilizes stagecrafts that they believe have never been done in the Philippines. </p><p>As excitement is building up for this heartwarming musical, <strong>Metro.Style </strong>chatted with some cast members to talk a bit about their characters and share why this staging is special to them.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQwNe_Qkph7/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=720&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A680751.3000000007%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Arnel Carrion as Ebenezer Scrooge</strong></div><p>&quot;Well, it’s extra special for me because I’ve done two other versions of “A Christmas Carol.” The first time I did it, I played Bob Cratchit, and then the second time I did it, I played the nephew of Scrooge. This time, it’s more special because I get to play Scrooge himself. Scrooge is a complicated man because he’s had a lot of bad experiences in his past, which turned him into a very stingy, mean old man. He had a lot of losses in life. He lost his father, he lost his mother, his sister. So, all of those things sort of made him angry at the world. And this story teaches him how to get past those experiences and still love people despite all those troubles that he’s had in the past.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRHvBb6j9Br/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A773944%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="856" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>CJ Navato as the young Ebenezer Scrooge</strong></div><p>“Young Scrooge is the passionate version of him… Young Scrooge carried that hope, that glimmer of love. That Scrooge has already lost that passion for life, that passion for people. And I think young Scrooge is the best reminder of where it all went wrong for him.”</p><div> </div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ_41xXDwtV/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A830034.9000000022%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="857" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Franco Laurel as The Ghost of Christmas Past</strong></div><p>“This is my second time doing the role. I played this eight years ago, and this is my return to theater after eight years. So, this is very special to me. One of the reasons why it is extra special is because three of my children are also in the cast: Mariela, Sofia, and Lucia. And Lucia was actually born eight years ago during prod week, so it’s a full circle moment for my family, and she’s now part of the cast, and she’s playing Fan.</p><p>“Well, my character is the Ghost of Christmas Past, and I am the first ghost that comes out, and I will be bringing Scrooge to the past and showing him who he was and how he was as a kid up to his years before he got engaged, and what led to him being the Scrooge that he is. So, it’s more of, like, I’m his conscience.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-8" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRHgohlj2WW/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A8%2C%22os%22%3A906638.6999999993%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="856" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-8" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Boo Gabunada as Jacob Marley</strong></div><p>“He is Scrooge’s best friend, and he represents the things that we regret in life, and we wish we could change, and he’s actually the one who tells Scrooge to change his life before it’s too late.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-12" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRHcrIZD6Cz/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A12%2C%22os%22%3A1040205.6999999993%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="857" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-12" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Carmelle Ros as The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be</strong></div><p>“She’s the third ghost to come out and show herself or reveal herself to Scrooge. She’s the last warning of Scrooge to change his ways, sort of. This is where Scrooge realizes that he has to change his ways, like seriously, and be joyous about Christmas and become himself again, because he wasn’t originally like a bitter, bitter man.” </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-10" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRHlrBtjycJ/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A10%2C%22os%22%3A958359.1999999993%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="857" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-10" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>Meliza Reyes Uy as Mrs. Fezziwig</strong></div><p>“Actually, every time we join a production, it always feels like family, especially this time with 9 Works. The atmosphere is very family. It’s very fun to work with them. They treat the cast as family.”</p><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-16" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ_qEL5j9Tu/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A16%2C%22os%22%3A1490858.6000000015%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="856" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-16" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>John Joven Uy as Bob Cratchit</strong></div><p>“Actually, this is the first production with 9 Works that I’m working with my wife, so that makes it like a really family vibe. And the cast is wonderful, makes you feel at home, makes you feel like it’s really Christmas already.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-14" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRHZsWfD52Y/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=971&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A14%2C%22os%22%3A1427810.1000000015%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="857" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-14" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong><em>Catch &quot;A Christmas Carol&quot; this November 29 to December 21, 2025 at the Proscenium Theater!. Get your tickets now via <a href="https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/Show.aspx?sh=AXMASCTM25" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TicketWorld</a>’s website, or at any on-site TicketWorld outlet, including the Power Plant Cinema!</em></strong></div>

<p>See these iconic characters come to life at Rockwell and 9 Works Theatrical's staging of "A Christmas Carol The Musical," only in the Proscenium Theater. </p>

See these iconic characters come to life at Rockwell and 9 Works Theatrical's staging of "A Christmas Carol The Musical," only in the Proscenium Theater.

'A Christmas Carol' Cast Members on Their Characters and Why This Adaptation Is Special to Them

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'A Christmas Carol' Cast Members on Their Characters and Why This Adaptation Is Special to Them

Metro.Style

Published November 27, 2025 05:30 PM PHT

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Updated November 27, 2025 05:53 PM PHT

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