Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Nathan Moore, and the Ghost of Christmas Past, Alaina Famularo

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse will ring in the holiday season with two weekends of the Christmas classic Scrooge the Musical, from December 5-14, 2025.  Based on Charles Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol, this musical brings the timeless holiday tale to life with warmth, humor and unforgettable music by Leslie Bricusse.

The story follows miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on his magical Christmas Eve journey, complete with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, as he discovers the true spirit of the season. Lively songs, dazzling production numbers and heartfelt moments fill this festive holiday classic.

The musical is directed by Chip Garrison, who directed the Gateway’s past two holiday shows, White Christmas (2024) and A New London Christmas Carol (2023). Garrison is a huge fan of the 1970 movie version of Scrooge that brilliantly starred Albert Finney as the miserly curmudgeon. Though the movie version can be seen as rather dark, Garrison assures that his stage version still has all of the great songs, such as “I Like Life,” “I Hate People,” “Thank You Very Much,” and “Christmas Morning,” but is not nearly as gloomy.

The ghost of Jacob Marley, portrayed by Mike Palmreuter, and Scrooge, played by Nathan Moore

“Chip is our ‘Director of Holiday Magic’,” said Katie Calvi, the Gateway’s board president. “The joy he has for the Christmas season shines through in every holiday production he does for the Gateway. We couldn’t ask for a better director for our Christmas shows.”

The talented cast includes Nathan Moore, who performed in the Gateway’s productions Into the Woods, Much Ado About Nothing and A New London Christmas, playing the title role of Ebenezer Scrooge, and Scott Friedman, who was also in Into the Woods, as well as South Pacific, as his overworked and underpaid employee Bob Cratchit.

Due to audience demand, the Gateway is adding Saturday matinees to a run for the first time, making the total performances for Scrooge eight, instead of the usual six. Past holiday productions have sold out early so the decision was made to expand the run to allow as many audience members as possible to enjoy this holiday musical show.

Shows are 7:00pm Fridays and Saturdays, December 5-6 and 12-13, and 2:00pm Saturdays and Sundays, December 6-7 and 13-14. Tickets for “Scrooge the Musical” are $35 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under. Tickets are available for purchase online or at the Karen S. Sutherland Box Office. Gateway Playhouse is located at 738 Bay Avenue in Somers Point, New Jersey.

“I love Christmas and I love Christmas shows,” said Garrison, who recently retired from teaching after 35 years. “Christmas is a great time to see a show to relax and uplift your soul. And what better way than to watch the story of Scrooge unfold?”

Nathan Moore as Scrooge with Cormac Green, the Ghost of Christmas Present 

Since its reopening in 2017, Gateway Playhouse, a 501-(c)3 nonprofit, has provided quality and affordable year-round entertainment to residents and visitors alike, as well as offered educational opportunities to grammar and high school students, in the hopes of creating future generations of actors, directors and audiences. Aside from an annual mainstage season, the Gateway also produces a variety of comedy and cabaret shows throughout the year.