A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

Christmas Is Comin' Uptown

Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy  /  10w, 10m

Music by Garry Sherman
Book by Phillip Rose and Peter Udell
Lyrics by Peter Udell

Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

All those Dickensian characters dancing, jiving and swinging to a Harlem beat? Right on! Scrooge is a Harlem slumlord about to foreclose an apartment house, a recreation center and a church when his late partner and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future take him on their rounds.

Christmas Is Comin' Uptown

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    10w, 10m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Literature), Christmas/Holiday
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary
All those Dickensian characters dancing, jiving and swinging to a Harlem beat? Right on! Scrooge is a Harlem slumlord about to foreclose an apartment house, a recreation center and a church when his late partner and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future take him on their rounds. He comes upon his own grave after watching Tiny Tim's burial procession and he's reformed. Shedding his nightshirt, he orders Chinese food and Jewish deli (the only food available this Christmas morn) for the Cratchits. This ebullient retelling of the classic tale features an all-Black cast and concludes with a rousing gospel number in a Baptist church.
History
Christmas Is Comin’ Uptown premiered on Broadway (under the title Comin’ Uptown) at the Winter Garden Theatre on December 20, 1979. Directed by Philip Rose, the production starred Gregory Hines and featured Deborah Lynn Bridges, Deborah Burrell, Loretta Devine, Tiger Haynes, Robert Jackson, Jenifer Lewis, Larry Marshall and Saundra McClain.
Salvation Army Trio
Scrooge
Bob Cratchit / Deacon
Mrs. Cratchit / Deacon's Wife
Cratchit Daughters (2)
Martha Cratchit
Tiny Tim
Tenant's Representative / Christmas Past
Mary (Recreation Center Director) / Christmas Present
Minister / Christmas Future
Marley
Time
Mary (Younger)
Younge Scrooge
His Assistant
Reverand Byrd
Gospel Singer

Chorus of Harlem Residents, Shoppers, dancers and extras.
  • Time Period 1970s
  • Setting Harlem, NYC. 1979.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

“Eye-popping, ear-pleasing, exuberant entertainment.” – WCBS-TV
“A gem... [a] fun, heartwarming, family-friendly holiday show.” – MD Theatre Guide

Music

1. “Christmas is Comin’ Uptown”
2. “Somebody’s Gotta Be the Heavy”
3. “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”
4. “Get Your Act Together”
5. “Lifeline”
6. “What Better Time for Love”
7. “It Won’t Be Long”
8. “What I’m Gonna Do for You”
9. “What Better Time for Love”
10. “Get Down Brother, Get Down”
12. “What Better Time for Love”
13. “I Have Finally Found My Heart”
14. “Nobody Really Do”
15. “Goin’ Gone”
16. “Get Down Brother (Reprise)”
17. “One Way Ticket to Hell”
18. “Born Again”
Keyboard/Conductor (Acoustic Piano & Synthesizer)

Reed 1 (Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone)
Reed 2 (Flute, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone)
Reed 3 (Flute, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone)
Reed 4 (Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone)
Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2
Trumpet 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Percussion 1 (Vibraphone, Xylophone, Bells, Tambourine)
Percussion 2 (Timpani, Bongos, Congo Drums)
Drums
Guitar
Violins
Viola A
Viola B
Cello
Bass
  • Orchestra Size Medium

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!
1 Keyboard-Conductor Score
20 Vocal Books

1 Reed 1
1 Reed 2
1 Reed 3
1 Reed 4
1 Trumpet 1
1 Trumpet 2
1 Trumpet 3
1 Trombone 1
1 Trombone 2
1 Percussion 1
1 Percussion 2
1 Drums
1 Guitar
1 Violins
1 Viola A
1 Viola B
1 Cello
1 Bass
1 Keyboard-Conductor Score
20 Vocal Books

Add-Ons

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Authors

Author

Phillip Rose

Author

Peter Udell

Author

Charles Dickens

Author

Garry Sherman

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