Theatre In the Park: a Christmas Carol

This is our 38th year to watch A Christmas Carol. Over the years we ve added children and now grandchildren to those attending with us. Wonderful and emotional family tradition.

A VERY talented group that entertains, makes you laugh, makes you feel good, really gets the Spirit of Christmas awakened!! Love this show every year! Ira David Wood never disappoints. It is GREAT.

Christmas tradition for my Mom and I. Always a great time. Highly recommend to everyone. Do not miss this show.

The play itself was good. The sound./music was absolutely ear shattering. Our normal season seats are on Row W and we haven't had a problem with loudness yet. This is our third year with season tickets. We managed to get seats on Row F for this show and same seats for the Vince Gill/Amy Grant show next week. The sound was so loud - the voices echoed and at points was hard to understand. We took our son and his wife for her birthday. He wears hearing aids and had to take them out. He still got a headache. Hopefully the sound for Vince and Amy will be better.

It was hilarious! Scrooge was phenomenal. Ira David Wood, IV is a very gifted actor. This was our first time seeing the production and our first time at DPAC. We have seen shows on Broadway and at Flat Rock. We now add DPAC as one of our favorite places.

This was an excellent performance...very professionally done Exceeds some Broadway performances that I have seen. It should be on Broasway!!

This show, was simply unbelieveable!!! HGIHLY RECCOMENDED!!!!!

This was the first time we visited DPAC and saw A Christmas Carol. David Wood IV was absolutely stellar, funny and heart-warming. One of the best plays I've seen in a long time.

Did not know this was a comedy! It is not advertised that way. Shocked and disappointed.

I thought the play was great. I had heard wonderful things from my daughters who have gone for years in Raleigh. It lived up to expectations. I took my two daughters and daughter-in-law as part of their Christmas. They said it was a great present. I thought he IV did a great job as Scrooge. The orchestra was wonderful, you left the play feeling light-hearted and good.

This was our first experience with David Woods "A Christmas Carol" and we will definetly come back. Great talent and entertainment!! Ira David Wood was excellent!

First time seeing this show. The 'son of Scrooge' performed admirably in his father's place!

This is the first time we have attended this event after hearing about it for years from our friends. We had family members in from out of town and they loved the show. Excellent.

Loved the play. Sometimes "Scrooge" was a bit too silly, too often in the first act, which detracted from the story somewhat. Needs to tone it down a little. Loved the second act. Just the right amount of humor, which added to the story. The 1st spirit was fantastic! Amazing voice for such a little girl, especially singing such a lengthy song. Three cheers for her! Having Ira David Wood, III walk across the stage was a plus for the audience and very appropriate. Nice to see him doing well enough to make an appearance. DPAC was great. The smell of sugar cookies, hot chocolate, and of course the snow on Saturday night, all added to the Christmas spirit of the evening.

I have probably been to 30+ shows over the years of Ira David Wood's adaption of The Christmas Carol. Sure we all know Ira III is great but I would like to commend Ira IV for an outstanding job this year. I recommend that anyone and everyone see this version of A Christmas Carol. You will laugh, cry, and walk away all warm and fuzzy inside. Thank you Ira III and IV for another special Christmas.

Great evening with the family enjoying a great play!

Great show at a great venue - DPAC! Ira David Wood IV did a fabulous job!! A holiday must see.

I used to go see A Christmas Carol every year with friends when I lived here in the late 80's! I was able to go with my family this year and we all loved it! It was just as good as I remembered! I hope it will be a family tradition now!

Me and 3 of my children ages 10,10, and 12 went to see this. It was the first time they saw it, and the acts kept them attentive, and laughing the whole time, which is great with 10 yr olds!!

This was our 34th year going to A Christmas Carol. It brings us joy, laughter, and tears but mostly it is the start of Christmas for our family that now includes a third generation with our grandchildren. thank you Ira David Wood and all the cast and crew for their dedication and hard work year after year.

What a special evening! The cast continues to outdo itself from the previous year and the scenery never let's me down. The Triangle is SO fortunate to have this top-notch production. Ira David IV will not let us down when it is his time to lead - his voice and stage presence is wonderful.

After attending A Christmas Carol since 1979, we were anxious and excited to see Ira David Wood IV perform as Scrooge. We were not disappointed. He stepped into the role like a pro. I'm sure his father is very proud. Again, the overall performance set our Christmas season in motion. This year we added our 18 month old grandson to those attending and he sat mesmorized the entire show. What a wonderful family tradition this show provides for our family. Mitchell did a fantastic job as Young Scrooge. The orchestra provides top knotch performances.

Bought tickets for my teenage children and myself. We loved the play! We laughed throughout the play and cried at the end! We had balcony seats which were a little hard to look down at the characters for three hours, so probably will get better seats for next show. Would recommend this play to all!

This was my first time seeing this , although I had previously heard only good things from friends .I was pleased with the performance . It was very enjoyable . I enjoyed how current events are worked into the performance . The venue is very nice . Seats are a little tightly close together in the balcony and after a couple of hours they get very uncomfortable . It was nice to see so many families there . I think everyone had a good time.

Always love this show! Really puts you in the Christmas mood!

A Christmas Carol ~ Theater in the Park production is always entertaining!! The cast, staging and costuming is wonderful! And If you need a laugh at the holidays ~ this show is it! You can count on being surprised! I highly recommend!!

This show will absolutely put Christmas in your heart. The show is funny, emotional and very entertaining. Have been for 26 years now!

my family and i go every year since discovering this show and we love it...great show with some wonderful twists to the classic version.

The show is an adaptation of the story, so those who expect it to mimic the book, it will not. There is comedy and current events injected into the story and it makes it a laugh and cry at the same time thing. The costumes, dancing and music are wonderful. They do follow the story, but there is some fun included. Go and enjoy!!!

This production is top-notch! Professional-style cast. Always current, with new one-liners, even though the main story is successfully presented year after year. Most of cast members' voices are easily understood and clear, except for Ghost of Christmas future (muffled), and nephew Fred (too fast). Highly recommend, and will return!.

Would have been great if it wasn t so political...

If you would pay money to listen to political insults against our president and watch an old man butcher a beautiful Christmas classic then this is for you! Otherwise I hope to forget the old man comedian in a white Elvis costume with his scantily clad "rockettes" celebrating Scrooge's change of heart. We left /no ran out of the theatre and will try to forget this travesty. What a waste of precious time with my children at Christmas.

Loved the comedic twists about current references. Great actors and actresses! Will definitely be seeing again next year!

I had wanted to see this production for years and I finally got to on Saturday Dec. 16, 2017. It was everything I had hoped it would be....Excellent show!

My fourth consecutive year and it gets better each year. A must see.

A must see every year! A heart warming Christmas story that can be told over and over again. The story reminds us to love one another and to give and share with others. Noel at the end brings a tear every time! Thank you Cast for your magnificent performance!

The DPAC is a great venue. The costumes, sets, and singing were all wonderful. I didn't love the constant 'Scrooge telling Dad jokes' schtick. It just wasn't my thing, but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it.

A long time family tradition. Always up to date and entertaining.

I couldn t recommend anything more than this twist of the classic tale! The cast, sets and playwriting is excellent. A must see for anyone!

They took a classic and tried to add humor to it which was full of mostly modern day political views. Thought it was kind of corny but it wasn't absolutely horrible. They got a little off track from the story line a few times trying to add extra "humor" and "uniqueness" but I felt it hurt far more than it helped.

I really enjoyed A Christmas Carol at the DPAC! I did not realize it was going to be funny but they did a great job of telling this heart warming story with a comical flare!

Seeing A Theater in the Park's A Christmas Carol is our family tradition and it never gets old. We look forward to seeing what pop culture from the year is woven into the timeless classic. I hope Ira David Wood never retires.

However this year the audio was off but still enjoyable.

This is not your standard Charles Dicken's version of a Christmas Carol. The story line is kept in tack, but how they bring current events, people and storylines into the show is true genius. Ira David Wood brings the nostalgic story of Scrooge alive with his humor, wit and song! A must see!

I was most entertained from the first moment to the end! It took me back to my theater years in high school and brought great joy to my heart! I bubbled over with laughter and felt teary eyed at the poignant scenes. My emotions shifted from minute to minute due to the extraordinary acting ability of the cast members and the fabulous script. I had an amazing experience and look forward to returning next year and I have recommended this play to others! A Christmas Carol was an outstanding!!!

Did I miss something in the advertisement that this was not the traditional Christmas Carol??? Why were there so much political spins on this classic story? I had to leave early and I am pretty upset I spent money on this theater production. The point was to get away from the world for a couple of hours. Not watch political mockery that included world events! Could have watched the news for that! Left 10 minutes into the second half. It was a day to be celebrating a family members birthday and we were not happy! Would love to be refunded.

Thankfully I am old enough (53) to get most of the jokes, but the show needs some updated music and jokes.

We have been to this show multiple times because our son loves it so much. It has become a tradition for him. The staging, costumes, and actors are all lovely. It is definitely a very slapstick kind of production. My husband is a traditionalist and likes to stay true to the real story. He hates this show with a passion and refuses to go. If you like the darker, spookier Dickens tale, you will want to steer clear of this production. Our son on the other hand, tries to predict every year what headlines or pop culture trends will be featured in the show, and laughs heartily at all of the shtick. My main beef with it is that it runs almost THREE HOURS and there is a lot that could be trimmed out to make it run shorter. Around the 2.5 hour mark, I am ready for them to to just get on with it, and I start to resent how long they drag it out. For example, the fake cracking up between Scrooge and Marley in the second act is old and forced. If you have been to the show more than once, you know that they do it every year and it's scripted. Some of the more minor songs could be shortened, or cut out. But the house is packed every year, and I doubt that anything will change much with a formula that has worked for them for 43 years. And you have to give mad props to Ira David Wood and some of the veteran players who have done this show for that long and still put forth the energy and love night after night. The younger cast members are likewise to be commended for bringing their fresh faces and energy to this community staple.

This is a great show but it IS billed as a Christmas show. Please leave the politics out of it. If I want political satire, I can turn on the television or the radio free of charge. I bought tickets to this show to enjoy my evening and the season with my children and grandchildren. My grandchildren didn't understand some of the political commentary and I really didn't want to have to explain it to them...this was supposed to be a CHRISTMAS show after all; they were confused by it. If you want to make it political, then it should be advertised that way. By and large, we did enjoy it; but we all felt that it was not the venue for politics. PLEASE in the future, let this be just a Christmas holiday show! We get enough politics every other day of the year.

Absolutely LOVED this production. Woods manages to retain the message of this charming tale while delivering a succession of bits that sometimes bite, but always amuse. The "little rocket man" sketch brought down the house! We saw the show last year and enjoyed it even more this season. Ira David Woods -- you rock!

The venue was terrific!! I have wanted to see this production for years and I am so happy I finally did.

We've seen "A Christmas Carol" numerous times over the years presented by different groups and venues. This presentation is more of a spoof or comedy version versus the original - traditional story by Dickens. While the venue is great and cast all performed very well we have to say we prefer the traditional version.

Very good production, scenery was outstanding, but it was not what I expected to see. It was more comedy than serious. I enjoyed the presentation very much. The cast was excellent and the costumes were exceptional.

This show never disappoints me or my family! If this doesn't get you into the Christmas Spirit, nothing will! It was and always is wonderful!

The Christmas Carol was yet again a fantastic way to start the holiday season. Wood did not have as many side jokes as he usually does but still a great production. Miss the old lamp lighter; could have done without the British accent.

We attended assuming this would be a faithful rendition of A Christmas Carol perhaps elongated with some songs. However it was a horrible with bsolutely ridiculous, modern-day jokes thrown in that make no sense in 19th century England. In the First Act Scrooge comes off as just a silly playful idiot and not The Grouchy Miser he's supposed to be. We left after the first act because we just couldn't tolerate the stupidity of the lame jokes and the poor quality of the potrayal of Scrooge. Avoid if you're looking for a faithful rendition of this holiday classic we tried to get a refund but had no success.

This is just our third year going to this show and my wife and I agree that it is our new Christmas tradition! We can't wait to see next years production and enjoy the laughs!

A Christmas Carol is a holiday favorite! Whether you are in jeans or black tie, the venue fits perfectly! Highly recommend everyone seeing this amazing event at least once in their lifetime. Will be difficult to stop at just once though!

It's a matter of taste, of course, but for me there was almost too much going on. After so many years I totally understand the desire to mix it up but I would have liked the focus to remain on the original story. After all, it still is a once a year production so we don't exactly get bored with it. I would have liked more emphasis on Mr. Scrooge's change of heart. I liked the old way of presenting the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future. I didn't like the dancing girls. Costumes were beautiful but the stage was too crowded with cast members at times. The sets were phenomenal. A little less flippant asides from Scrooge would have been nice.

Three days later and I am still smiling! My husband and I LOVED the performance! Thank you for putting on such a wonderful show!

Loved the play; actors and actresses did a wonderful job in their performance

The best one yet! I loved the play! David Ira Wood was at his peak Friday night. The wisemen going to DC were great.

Ira David Woods adaptation of this classic is absolutely wonderful! I would highly recommend this musical comedy to friends and family alike. The two children behind us enjoyed it as well. They were probably 10-12 years old. My only issue as well as those around me, was that there were a few times that the music overpowered the dialogue from the cast. But it was incredibly funny and adapted to current events and the local area in it's humor. A MUST SEE!

This is my favorite performance at Christmas! Ira David Wood III masterfully combines comedy with the true meaning of Christmas in this Dickens classic. DON'T miss it!!! You'll want to come back every year!

So glad that I finally went to see "A Christmas Carol" with David Ira Wood III ! Had been wanting to go for years and was well worth the wait. The meaning of the original was still there but there was so much more in Wood's version that made the whole experience so much fun!

This show keeps getting better. Ira David Wood 111, the cast and crew did not disappoint. The 2017 performance was a true delight.

NEVER DISAPPOINTS!! HAD THE BEST SEATS EVER, CAST WAS WELL PLAYED, HUMOR ALWAYS!!

Best show around! Ira David Wood never disappoints!

The ONLY way to begin the Holiday Season!! Ira David Wood's production of "A Christmas Carol" is unlike any other you will ever see. Each year is different than the year before & ALWAYS the best. The music is fantastic - you will find yourself humming the tunes all year long. Can't wait until the 44th year in 2018.

I hate to slam a Raleigh tradition for 43 years. I had heard many people attend this yearly...almost a cult following. I have to say I was SO disappointed in the performance. Nothing like I was expecting. It was basically a one man show with some villagers thrown in. The quality was poor. At times I thought I was sitting through a high school performance. I left at intermission. I almost felt the show was an insult to my intelligence. Won't be back next year. One more seat for some poor Raleigh follower. AND the tickets were SO expensive.

This was my first time seeing this annual event. While I like all the shtick and the jokes (where else can you get Scrooge, Elvis, and 30's era dancing girls all on stage? And a walk on Rocket Man joke?) It got to be a too much for a nearly 3 hour event. All the performers were terrific though.

The charm and magic of this show is the best way to start your Christmas season!

We have, over the last 40 years, seen A Christmas Carol no less than 10 times...this though was, in our opinion, the best! We thoroughly enjoyed it!

This year's Christmas Carol was pretty great. The ghost of Christmas future was not as funny as years past but the comedy in the first half more than made up for it.

My wife and I saw this mess of a play. We actually walked out during the show. I do not understand, we read so many wonderful things about it. We found it an insult to our intelligence, boring, and not funny at all.

We saw this show yearly at Theater in the Park when our daughter was very young. We hadn't been in over 15 years and wanted to see the incomparable Ira David Wood once more in this iconic role. He was terrific - funny, poignant, moving; as well played as Scrooge as we remembered. Local jokes inserted are spot on, though I wasn't sure the entire audience caught on.

We were concerned that our Christmas tradition for the past 30 years would be spoiled but Ira David wood IV maintained the quality of performance. We laughed and know that our tradition is safe for years to come!

After many years hearing about this great production written by Ira David Wood III, my wife and I attended this performance. The music and comedy was beyond belief, and beyond my expectations. The show is a great musical with many participants in singing and dancing, along with comedy segments that include current events. You have to experience the show to understand how well done and entertaining it is. Ira David Wood's "A Christmas Carol" defies description.

We have seen the Christmas Carol for over 30 years. We plan to attend every year, this funny, thought provoking, professional and entertaining production. Every character came to life, in the musical comedy which we recommend to everyone, regardless of age. Thanks to Ira David for producing this plan and for making us laugh and cry.

ALWAYS ENJOY THIS MUSICAL SO MUCH. THE CHARACTERS ARE WELL CAST YEAR AFTER YEAR.

great performance. broadway quality acting and singing.

We have seen this show for the past 10 years and love it more each time. Costumes and music are fabulous and the added humor makes it so much fun!

The show was amazing. Christmas, comedy and heartwarming all in one show.

David Ira Woods, once again refreshes this show with his wonderful witty insight into today's life.

We really enjoy this play and see it every year! Even my teenage son enjoys going every year....

I was told before I purchased tickets that the show was not a direct retelling of "A Christmas Carol," and would include current issues. While I'm not a fan of this in most cases, I wasn't prepared for the incredibly sever amount of satire, slapstick, and plain stupidity going on during the show. If this is what you enjoy, then this is the show for you. If not, be warned that you will be wasting your money.

I expected this show to be the traditional Christmas Carol with a few variations. It turned out to be a series of skits with lame over-the-top jokes, complete with rim-shots, with just enough reference to Dickens' story to keep the Christmas Carol in its title. The only nice thing I have to say about this play was that the sets were impressive.

Set and performances were amazing. Could have been a great show however the Donald Trump and Elvis skits were a little over the top. Would have more authentic and better without those skits.

This was a Christmas present for my husband- his favorite show & "Christmas" for him. The dancing & singing numbers were beautifully done! But... They had nothing at all to do with the story. There was no story at all!! We went understanding it would be some version of it. Nothing close to it. Understand doing a different approach/interpretation but it should have been advertised that way. Including the posters, emails, commercials, description. We ended up leaving at intermission. We would have left sooner but did not want to disturb other attendees.

What a wonderful, touching but humorous adaptation of the classic tale! Ira David Wood is brilliant. I love the fact that it is heartfelt and does not apologize for celebrating Christmas and saying God Bless America. Take your family, take your friends year after year!

Always amazing. Every year is different. Writer is so talented.

This was my third time seeing the show and I loved it as much as the first time! Lots of new comedy added this year. I took my sister with me and she loved it as well. She can't wait to go back and take her husband. Ira David Wood is just outstanding as well as the rest of the cast. I hope this wonderful holiday tradition will continue at DPAC for years and years to come. Even with the comedy the core of the true story is still there. It is just the absolute perfect combination. I am already looking forward to next year.

This is my 2nd year attending this show and I was thoroughly entertained. The show is wonderfully put together and the references to current events throughout are hilariously entertaining. The music was wonderful and my seats were some of the best, right up front. I'm still chuckling days later from the great show. Thank you!

I guess we didn't do enough research into this production prior to spending $160 on our two tickets. This is a satire, and unless you enjoy this type of rendition, save some $$ and buy the original production on DVD! The actors did a fine job (not their fault), but the jokes weren't funny, and we were just very disappointed in the script & songs. To their credit, the general message of the original did come through nicely. I am chalking this up to a very expensive lesson. Wish we would have read some reviews before purchasing.

Great again this year. Part of our Christmas tradition.

Have seen the play twice now. Great way to celebrate the holidays. Love the current events jokes. Lots of fun!

I have wanted to see this show for the last 10 years and this year I finally made it happen. I am so glad I was able to see him in his 41st performance. The man is amazing and a true 'character' for sure! I would highly recommend anyone who has not had the pleasure of seeing his show should make a point to do this in 2016. I'll be doing it again and hopefully closer to the action next time.

This is a fun evening for the whole family that tells this classic Dickens tale with a southern twist. Ira David Woods artfully weaves in what is happening in the news today with this age-defying theme to keep it always fresh, always funny. The scenery is gorgeous and the singing and acting is top notch. You can't ask for a more fun evening to get you in the holiday spirit. The Triangle is lucky to have this wonderful talent.

I attend about every other year, and it's always so much fun. From the music, to the sets and costumes, to the unique humor...always the highlight of the Christmas season.

In the last 41 years this show has captured the hearts of old and young. After being pulled up on stage as a child then attending for years following it is important to spread the message to all transplants that it is an NC requirement to both attend and love Ira David Wood's A Christmas Carol! If you do not love it you have either travelled too far South or not far enough!