(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse presents Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Jersey Christmas Show from December 2-21, 2025. Written by Gordon Greenberg (Holiday Inn, Dracula!) and Steve Rosen (The Other Josh Cohen) and directed by Greenberg, it is based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and gives the holiday classic a Jersey twist.
Move over, London—Scrooge is spending Christmas in Jersey! This fast, funny, and full-of-surprises reimagining of A Christmas Carol takes Dickens’ classic tale and gives it a fresh, local twist. Expect all the traditional ghosts—Past, Present, and Future—along with plenty of Garden State spirit, unexpected laughs, and a dash of holiday magic. No matter what exit you’re from, this high-energy holiday romp is a Christmas celebration that’s as big, bold, and unforgettable as the great state of New Jersey!
The cast includes Nehal Joshi (Phantom of the Opera), Drama Desk nominee Orville Mendoza (Swept Away), Michele Ragusa (Flying Over Sunset), Cathryn Wake (53% Of), and Kevin Pariseau (The Heart of Rock and Roll) as “Ebenezer Scrooge.”
Performances take place Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Exceptions: there will be an additional performance on Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30pm and no matinee performance on Thursday, December 4.
Tickets begin at $35 and full season subscriptions begin at $176. Groups of 10 or more can save 20% on tickets. Tickets are available for purchase online. Performances take place at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (11 Livingston Avenue) in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The creative team includes scenic design by Adam Koch (Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story), costume design by Tristan Raines (Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors), lighting design by Rob Denton (The Lehman Trilogy), original sound design by Ben Fasbender (Driving Miss Daisy) with additional sound design by Artistic Producer Christopher J. Bailey (GSP’s An Old-Fashioned Family Murder). Casting is by Pat McCorkle, CSA / McCorkle Casting.
For more than 50 years, George Street Playhouse has produced groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. Entering its 52nd season, the organization has a rich history of producing nationally renowned theatre.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint (1997-2025) the Playhouse filled a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state, and greater metropolitan region. George Street Playhouse announced the appointment of Edgar Herrera as Managing Director, effective June 1, 2023. Effective January 1, 2025, Herrera became Executive Director.
Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres—The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465—and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse. Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home.
The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasquale, and was seen on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Other productions include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award-nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays.
George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
