Betsy Wolfe, Clifton Duncan & More Tapped for Christmas Musical Estella Scrooge

Christmas has come early with this news. A new musical by John Caird and Paul Gordon entitled Estella Scrooge will be produced and digitally captured live, using green screen technology and virtual sets that will bring this modern retelling of A Christmas Carol to audiences in time for the holidays. The cast will begin taping their portions this week. A release date for the full musical will be announced later.

Estella Scrooge will star Betsy Wolfe in the title role with Clifton Duncan as Philip Nickleby, Patrick Page as Mr. Merdle, Carolee Carmello as Marla Havisham and Danny Burstein as Ebenezer Scrooge. The company will also include Megan McGinnis as Betty Cratchit, Lauren Patten as Dawkins, Adam Halpin as Bob Cratchit, Sarah Litzsinger as Sissy Jupe, Tom Nelis as Dedlock, EM Grosland as Smike, Phoenix Best as Charity & Mercy, David Bryant as Mr. Podsnap, Gabrielle Reid as Mrs. Pumblechook, Samuel Lee Roberts as Mr. Flopson, Michael Francis McBride as Mr. Dombey, Michele Lee as Mrs. Noggs, Kristen Faith Oei as Ms. Skiffins, William Youmans as Magwitch & Bagstock, Kevyn Morrow as Jasper Jaggers, Willow McCarthy as Tiny Tammy, Brooklyn Shuck as Young Essy and Joziyah Jean-Felix as Young Pip.

Estella Scrooge (Wolfe) is a young Wall Street tycoon with a penchant for foreclosing. A hotelier in her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio has defaulted on his mortgage loan and Estella fancies the idea of doing the deed personally. Arriving at Harthouse on Christmas Eve, Estella discovers that the defaulting party is none other than her childhood sweetheart, Pip Nickelby (Duncan). Always the humanitarian, Pip has generously transformed the property into a refuge for the sick, dispossessed and homeless. A freak snowstorm (in Pickwick?) forces Estella to take refuge herself. That night, as it happened to her ancestor Ebenezer long ago, she too is haunted by three visitors.