Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol returned to the McCarter after a three year Covid hiatus to prove once again that this 19th century rebuke of Industrial Age ruthlessness and eventual redemption can still surprise and enlighten. In the current interpretation, directed by Lauren Keating, casting for many of the main characters has been made more inclusive and in several roles, "re-gendered" as female - including Mr. Scrooge himself (Dee Pelletier.) As a result, the sharp elbows and volatility of a classic George C. Scott or Albert Finney Scrooge seemed far more muted, especially as the staging was less lavish than in previous productions. And I don't know if the urban contemporary dance number at the end and the "updating" of several key scenes (Tiny Tim becomes a veterinarian??) was entirely necessary but It just goes to show that live theater is always intriguing and that a story you think you know by rote can still surprise. Not since Rod Serling's Carol For Another Christmas turned this venerable chestnut into an anti-war sermon has a version demanded full audience attention. Five stars for challenging my expectations. The McCarter remains a treasure. read more

Went to see The Woman in Black . I am a huge fan of the novel and have seen the movie. The movie was not that good. This version has as we might put it , issues. There is a narrative frame- device- that I found rather irritating. The protagonist is an old man who hires an actor to tell the story. This is over done and should be cut down. The first act is rather dull. It does come alive in the second act and redeems itself.Hence I wound up enjoying the play. If I were directing and I could take liberties , I 'd try to bring it more in line with the book. If it isn't scary it isn't anything. Too much dithering in the first part of the play.The actors , in challenging roles, did yeoman work. On the theater itself, the seats are very uncomfortable. It has a nice bar. You can park for free at nearby garage. read more

Mccarter Theatre Center - Play - Performing Arts Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

The theater is a 5 star! My family and I have made it a traditional to see a Christmas carol every year.This products of Christmas carol was a 2 at best,2 for the amazing costumes.They turned a classic into a politically correct nightmare. Scrooge was played by a woman that didn't have the energy or bitterness,they cut out most of the wonderful singing and dancing at the nephews Christmas party and tiny Tim and Scrooge's story all a thing of the past just to modernize a classic! read more

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Such a cute theater with good sound system! The line for the bathroom is horrendous, but that is inevitable for a full show. The theatre is clean and well maintained. I wish that we knew this was in NJ. We booked tickets from New York City theater and it was not clear that this was in a different state. read more

Historic and wonderful venue. Terrific sight lines. And being on Princeton's magnificent campus is always a treat. Highly recommend!

We had a wonderful time at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton. The was a fun filled show called The Dual Reality. The performance was exciting. The performers were very talented. It had a romantic aspect to it. The theatre was clean. We definitely will return for another show. read more

Horrible "interpretation" of A Christmas Carol so caught up in making it diverse , they forgot to sing Christmas songs or put any effort into special effects like the show has had in the past or choreography or even have a Christmas tree or feast at the end !!!?? I'm under exaggerating !! Yes that's right no Christmas tree or decorations in the play or the theatre ? Is a tree offensive now to liberals ? Totally changes th e ending , just have the show take place in modern times then if your going to do that !!, just call the play Carol and make it about how Ebiniser transitioned to Carol ...read the story ! Jeez changed the ending no dining in the beginning , using the same actor for young Scrooge and his nephew GTFOH read more

Mccarter Theatre Center - Performing Arts Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

I recently saw the new adaptation of A Christmas Carol at McCarter and really loved it. There were all my favorite moments - an amazing entrance by Jacob Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Present being a beautiful flurry of joy, and the spookiness of the ending. But there were a few touches I haven't seen in any adaptations of A Christmas Carol I really loved, like the snow globe that Scrooge gets (and passes on), and the scene where his maid sells his items - showing how the things we believe are valuable might not be as valuable as we think. The staging was beautiful and I loved the costumes (especially the "past" costumes with their snowy touches). I also liked how the cast reflected the diversity of not only our own world, but the world of Dickens' London that we don't always get to see - especially loved Mr. Fezziwig! What a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season and remember to be kind :) read more

If I could give A Christmas Carol a "zero star" rating, I would. Attending A Christmas Carol at McCarter has been a family tradition for more than 20 years. Three generations' worth of family members were utterly disappointed by this year's production. There was no emotion, no energy, and no Christmas spirit evident in the show. The play deviated wildly from past performances, omitting virtually all of the most memorable, moving scenes that we'd look forward to seeing year after year. I've cried multiple times during the show each year (except the one year (2018?) the performance was minimalist and unemotional), but I wasn't even tempted to shed a tear this year. It was a soulless performance, through and through. The misery of the show itself was compounded by the (apparently) new rule allowing guests to eat in the theater. We had a group behind us who ate noisy candy throughout the entire show. Wrappers were crinkling, M&M's were being poured out of boxes, plastic water bottles were being squeezed... on and on and on. We are so frustrated that we wasted $600 and more than two hours of our life on the show tonight. read more

Horrible! I have been attending A Christmas Carol at McCarter for more than 50 years, and while there have been many directors and many tweaks to the play, I have always thoroughly enjoyed it. Not this year. Not in the least bit. It was awful. There is honestly not one positive thing I can say about it. A female Scrooge and a female young Scrooge? Supposedly picked because they picked the best actor for the role? If that's true then you have no talent choosing talent. Seriously? A gay couple at one of the parties? Removal of traditional lines and even replacing them with their woke counterparts? No Christmas songs? No Christmas tree? I will not attend another on of these plays until this director is replaced and the play rewritten. Sadly, woke Princeton will probably double down and hire this person for an extended run! I'm done with McCarter theatre. read more

I've seen many A Christmas Carol productions at this theater and they just ruined it. Not only is it now a woke until you choke Production, the performance was lackluster at best. Dialogue was odd and off putting with no emotion from the performance. Character casting didn't make sense at all and they were calling Scrooge mr and Mrs not sure intent USP or my mistake. The performance from Scrooge who was a lady played it like a lady. Definitely won't be back under this directors It was ho hum what bummer. read more

This was my first time seeing A Christmas Carol at the McCarter and it was really disappointing. The sets were dull and the acting was mediocre. I am all for diversity, but a woman playing Scrooge is ridiculous. The portrayal was mousy and Scrooge needs to be imposing and gruff. No Christmas tree. Even the 3 ghosts were understated. This version of the story could benefit from some "oomph". read more

Ebenezer Scrooge should be played by an Old Man because Ebenezer Scrooge is an Old Man. They need to respect the stories and characters as they were written by the authors and playwrights. If the director/producer plans to shred tradition, they should alert consumers BEFORE they purchase their tickets. A Christmas Carol was a huge disappointment. Woke, insipid and just awful. read more

Will not be going back! My family has seen A Christmas Carol at McCarter for the last 20 years. We went because my new son-in-law had never seen it. We told him how wonderful it was. If I knew they were shoving diversity down my throat beforehand I would never have gone. I thought about feeling in the 2nd half but the kids paid for the tickets and we stayed. what happened to the warm and fuzzy feeling of a great play. bring back the old version! Will be going elsewhere next year! read more

Over the last 10 years, I have been a frequent attendee at events, held at McCarter theater. While I find their programming, less interesting recently, I still try and attend as many events as I can at McCarter. That's why I'm particularly disappointed in the way they handled, the upcoming show of Jon Stewart. I didn't see anything about it until yesterday and I tried to use their online system five or six times to no avail and I called the box office to try and buy tickets as well for the March 29 event. Nothing worked, and of course I tried online this morning and saw that it was all sold out. Because I live near McCarter, I decided to stop by the box office today and voice my disappointment. As I anticipated, the person at the box office told me they were barraged with phone calls, and there was some difficulty with their online processing. While an "I'm sorry," would've been nice to hear, what I did hear was well you along with hundreds of others are disappointed. This was a big miss for McCarter; they didn't handle it well. They were overwhelmed and folks like me will miss out on seeing the magnificent Jon Stewart. I guess all I'm trying to say is it could've been handled better. read more

McCarter Theatre is a great & high quality theatre option for those who don't want to venture out into New York City or Philadelphia (not to mention free parking nearby in Princeton). I most recently attended their annual Christmas Carol performance, which was an absolutely amazing production with a combination of stage actors and community locals. I've been to over 10 shows at McCarter over the past 5 years, and while not all of them I would classify as "great" either due to the plot or topic of a particular performance, most have been of great quality. It's sad that other Yelpers have reviewed poorly based on just one show or experience that they haven't liked. McCarter generally has 5-6 different theater shows per annual season of varying plots, with some seasons being weaker than others, where I attend less shows. McCarter also hosts many one day performances of various kinds throughout the year including music, comedy, dance, and magic. Occasionally, Hollywood actors have performed here including David Hyde Pierce, Dylan McDermott, Michael Shannon, & Dana Delany, just to name a few recent ones. The arts aren't for everyone, but friends and family I've introduced to shows at McCarter have absolutely loved them. read more

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My family and I went to see A Christmas Carol. It was my second time but it was your first. We have decided that we are going to see this every year on Christmas Eve like we did this year. The play was spectacular we can't wait till next year to come back to see a Christmas Carol and we will look at the theater schedule for plays throughout the year. read more

Mccarter Theatre Center - My mother and I. My sisters were sitting a few rows back. - Performing Arts Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

We've seen other productions, but 2021 version was just horrible. No energy. You did not leave the theatre with the spirit of the holidays. Previous productions have brought me to tears, then lifted me up with the magical performances and storyline. Just awful (and we actually drove up from North Carolina for this!). I'm not trying to take anything away from the performers, but when you're given a horrible script, what are you supposed to do? read more

Beautiful theater in a lovely location on Princeton's campus. It has quite a stair climb if you park at the bottom, but there's an area for pick up and drop off that avoids all that. This is a smaller theater, but good for more intimate shows. I watched Crowns here a few weekends ago and really enjoyed myself. Bathrooms had a long line as everyone tries to go before the show. There was no intermission for the play, but we were only in the theater for 2 hours. The volunteers are helpful and showed us to our seats. Great sound quality and comfortable seats. We parked a little far, at the Princeton Train station parking lot, as it's free on Sundays! It was tough to find parking close to the theater. read more

What did I just watch? This has been a family tradition for 18 years, each year we looked forward to the small deviations that were made from the previous as they always found a way to make it more special. With the implementation of a new director came many, unfavorable changes. They did away with all of the scenes that made this play memorable. The dancing scenes, the music, the emotional connection that the characters shared, GONE. There were no special effects as there were in previous years and the sets lost their "wow factor" (maybe a budget thing?). There lacked cohesion between the characters and was confusing to follow at times. I am all for women's equality but the true persona of Scrooge can only be embodied by a man. The last scene between Scrooge and Tiny Tim that usually causes watery eyes throughout the theatre was completely rushed and emotionless and was followed up with a TikTok dance? How off-putting. It is upsetting because this play was a tradition to so many families that will no longer be attending. Hopefully McCarter will be able to smooth out the kinks or bring back the old version. read more

Disappointing is the only word to describe Christmas Carol 2022. Although the spirits of Christmas were included in the performance, they forgot to include any Christmas spirit that the play has had in past years! read more

Holy Woke! Our family has been going to A Christmas Carol at McCarter for years, but we won't be back. Scrooge was played by a woman this year and all the performers had their preferred pronouns in their program bios. Before the performance began, an announcer came on to mention that we were on indigenous lands and needed to continue our work on de-colonization. After which they stated that masks were not required, but strongly recommended. Of course none of the performers were wearing them, except one child actor. Aside from the woke nonsense, the performance was simply not on par with prior years and lacked Christmas Spirit. One of The Cratchit's children had to be nudged by Scrooge as she forgot to say her lines. I miss 2019! read more

I grew up with McCarter Theatre. It's where I watched the "A Christmas Carol" as a kid. I can still remember being bundled up in the back of my mom's light blue Volvo with my brother and sister. The leather seats ice cold to the touch, I would fiddle with the radio, while my brother vetoed all of the stations. We'd all just sit there, antsy, just waiting for my mom to return. Smelling of strong perfume, she'd open the car door, with a big cup of WaWa vanilla coffee. She'd hand it to me, with about a dozen warnings of how hot it was. I would sip on the scalding sickly sweet coffee, as my mom would park the car, and then we would all walk over to McCarter Theatre. McCarter Theater was always such an exciting holiday trip. It was the kind of place you dressed up for. Even if you didn't want to. You just had to. It was the patent black mary janes with white tights kind of place. And even though I knew "A Christmas Carol" by heart, I would still leave each performance touched and impressed. We would pile back into that Volvo, and the whole time, all I could think to myself was how special I was that night. A night at McCarter just makes you feel special. I went back a couple of years ago to McCarter Theater with my sister to watch Sweet Honey on the Rock perform. It was strange coming back to a place that had seemed so big and impressive as a kid. I felt so grown up - arriving in casual jeans, without the worry of pulling up too small tights. I felt so mature finding my seat with my sister, and not having to worry about my mom telling me to spit out my gum. And as Sweet Honey on the Rock lulled the crowd with their captivating voices - I felt those same feelings rush back. That same feeling of excitement and security I'd felt as a kid. Excitement because I knew I was experiencing a special moment in a special place. And security - because it felt so familiar and warm. As I nestled into my padded seat - I felt my body soften in pure contentment. I felt overwhelmingly special. ************ McCarter Theatre is a sensational theater - offering over 200 performances of theater, dance, music and special events each year. People come from all over to perform. People come from all over to watch their performances. The crowd is not only always engaged, but diverse as well. For some reason I'm still signed up for McCarter's upcoming events E-mails. Each event that they showcase in their E-mails, is always so different and remarkable. McCarter Theater does an outstanding job of making the arts accessible to all people and covering an incredibly wide span of subjects. Everybody from Bill Cosby, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bette Midler, Gregory Peck, Billy Joel, to Tony Bennett have graced the stage at McCarter at some point. And I'm sure as they captured their audience with their poignant voices - there was an undeniable and unique feeling of love in that theater. I'm sure everyone, both on and off the stage, gravely voiced Bob Dylan included - felt overwhelmingly special. read more

Saw a Christmas Carol tonight, very disappointed. I saw this show a few years back and it was incredible. Don't waste your money on this version. It was terrible. read more

I have been taking my family to watch the Christmas carole play here for years. It has always brought a tear to my eye and lump in my throat from the great story, cast and acting. We just went again on 12.10.22 and I cannot tell you how disappointed we were. The lead role of Scrooge was always cast with a perfect actor that traditionally we all pictured as Scrooge, this year they had the role of Scrooge played by a 5 foot tall woman. It was uninspiring to watch this play. We left disappointed, the acting was below par and there were no tears, no lump in my throat, we just felt like we got wokeness jammed down our throat. The proper traditional role cast of Scrooge is vital to the Christmas Carole play. If you are looking for the traditional Christmas Carole play I do not recommend this version. read more

Beautiful theatre. The seats were comfortable and the Christmas Carol show was done beautifully.

For my own amusement, I've decided that TMBG played in Princeton after learning that I was unable to see them in Philadelphia at the TLA on NYE b/c the staff employed self righteous freaks with control and domination issues. :) McCarter Theater is within walking distance of downtown, so we walked through campus to get there (the Magnolia trees are rather pungent right now). The theatre is more modern and plain than I'm used to (this isn't Carnegie Hall or the Civic Opera House or the Chicago Theatre) , but the crowds were pleasant and polite, the seats comfortable. TMBG kept trying to get people to be less uptight--it's a concert! But, it's also Princeton. There was an uncomfortable but refreshing sigh when 2 teenaged boys (without any rhythm) decided to run to the stage and start dancing. Then more and more people joined them and it was more like a real concert. One boy with long, beautiful hair was head banging. I almost felt like there should be a pit. The crowds were amusing. Sound was fine--not overly loud, even though we were at seats C5 & C7. Then again, this band can play in any venue and sound great. Tickets were $28--totally reasonable. On the way home, there were actually loud students in the dorms, with some guy calling the passers by Betas and Beta Bittys. It's the loudest I've heard the kids, but they may have been visiting HS seniors. read more

Mccarter Theatre Center - TMBG concert - Performing Arts Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Don't waste your time or money going to see a Christmas carol it's absolutely terrible. First off there is a woman playing the role of Scrooge and her stage presence isn't good. Mr. Scrooge is supposed to be an intimidating man not a frail woman. It seemed that the whole play was a political statement with no care of actual acting talent. It was our family tradition every year but we will not be back as long as the play is under the current director. Wish I could leave no stars just like the play had in the cast. read more

This is wonderful local theater. I went last night to see Amos Lee and was very impressed! Not only was the concert fantastic, but the venue was rest as well. Parking in the garage is free and takes less than 5 minutes to walk to the theater. The heater has an intimate feel, but all the capabilities of a much larger theater in terms of sound, lighting, etc. Snacks and drinks are on sale during the show; it's an extra $3 for a reusable cup, but you can bring it back for future shows! Tip: if you go straight to the box office to buy tickets you avoid extra fees. read more

Mccarter Theatre Center - View of the stage - Performing Arts Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Just saw A Christmas Carol 2022 at McCarter Theater. My family and I have seen this play at McCarter many times in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it. This reimagined rendition was very disappointing. First, males and females aren't interchangeable in a role. Mr. Scrooge being played by a woman actor and a young girl was ridiculous. Why even wear costumes if the audience is supposed to use their imaginations to the point of believing a woman is a man. Accents other than Old English also don't belong in this story. The sets were dreary, the special effects were lacking, and the choreography and dancing were not up to the splendor of past years. Changing the dialogue so that the Cratchit girls get scholarships was also ridiculous. My family and I won't be back to see this again. read more

For the last 15 years we have been going to see this show. This Director completely destroyed what was once an unbelievable show. They are so caught up in being woke and putting the actors pronouns in the program they forgot good acting, Christmas Carols and enthusiasm. This holiday tradition is over for us. read more

The 2022 performance of A Christmas Carole was utterly disappointing. This has been our tradition for 20+ years, but no longer. It was a such a sad, unacceptable performance except for Marley. Scrooge as a woman was definitely subpar. There was no Christmas joy and the scenery was bland. Their was definitely too many liberties taken with the story line to the point of being confusing at some points. The wokeness of the play ruined the story and was hard to distinguish who the characters were. Everyone ran to leave after the show. EPIC FAILURE! Do not attend this depressing and unfulfilling performance. Waste of money. read more

While the theatre is a wonderful venue, I was completely disappointed in this year's (2022) performance of A Christmas Carol. In years past, it was so festive and grand and simply drew you in and was thoroughly enjoyable. This year, the acting was simply mediocre, the dream sequences completely dumbed down and the whole performance was just like a simple dress rehearsal and so disappointing. read more

I enjoy seeing shows here. The sound system is good. You will probably have to circle around a bit for street parking. Downside is seats are low, old and uncomfortable and there's little leg room. read more

The performance given on December 23rd was absolutely horrendous. We purposely decided to go to this showing to get in the Christmas spirit and see our family loved classic, The Christmas Carol. This "take" on Charles Dickens was an untraditional take on a traditional play. There was no indication of these untraditional changes that were made to the classic play when we were buying our tickets. Our family has seen The Christmas Carol play every year since 2007 and have recommended the play to others. Every "take" on The Christmas Carol was well done with a talented cast, outstanding sets and effects. This year the effects were subpar, in addition to the unenthusiastic acting. This performance was lackluster and uninteresting. Ebenezer Scrooge has always had a strong persona and that was not seen. This play has previous brought us to tear with its moving sentiment, but left us questioning what we had just seen. Moving forward we will not be attending the McCarter theater shows if similar changes continue to occur to other shows. read more

The theater complex includes a recently renovated 1,100-seat auditorium, a 360-seat auditiorium, a rehearsal hall/75-seat performance space, and a small café. I saw John Hiatt here last evening, in the larger, Matthews auditorium. The space is attractive, and the seats comfortable, with plenty of legroom. Sightlines to the stage and acoustics are good. Another good point is the ease of parking, as the complex is right across the plaza from the Princeton train station. There's no place to eat within walking distance, so you are limited to the on-site café. It has a good selection of wines by the glass and craft beers, and snacks such as cheese plates, crostini with spreads, baguette sandwiches, and pastries. The food is pricey, and you can't get an actual meal here. We had one glass of chardonnay, one beer, a cheese plate with four tiny wedges of cheese garnished with dried fruit, and a crostini plate with small ramekins of hummus and olive tapenade (which did not agree with my stomach). The tab for the above was $35. Hiatt was entertaining, as usual. Now 60, he's getting a bit long in the tooth, and losing some of his vocal range, but still has lots of spunk onstage. He has a huge repertoire of self-penned songs, but he does tend to present his more recent material, and, predictably, his well-known "hits". His backing band is adequate, but doesn't have the energy of his old group, "The Goners" (with Sonny Landreth on guitar). Hiatt's rhythym guitar work and stage presence is as strong as ever, though, and he certainly gave the audience their money's worth last night, with a two-hour set, plus two encores. read more

Even just riding through the beautiful, historic area to get to the theater is a treat within itself. Once you get there, they have free parking in a private lot, which is also right next to Princeton train station. The theater itself is very spacious, with comfortable seats and great acoustics. With the exception of coffee/ juice and small snacks, there aren't any real food vendors. So if you need something filling, you'll have to go a few blocks into town. The thing that I like most about McCarter Theater is that their productions are very diverse. They even have a huge calendar for ethinic productions alone. read more

Beautiful theater with an intimate seating plan and friendly staff. Almost every seat gives a great view of the stage with very minimal obstruction at the sides. The acoustics are pretty good. Their program is well-curated, judging by the production of "In the Woods" we just saw. The performers came out after the show to mingle with the crowd, and it was all very casual. The people of Princeton should be proud of their performance venue. read more

This is a follow-up to my previous review: Mrs. Cooper cared enough to contact me to recitfy the issue. Great shows here staffed with true professionals! read more

This is a very pretty and nice old theater. My one complaint is that they really need to hire ushers, or train them correctly, so they know where the seats are! I was here twice recently and both times the ushers sat us in the wrong seats. One time the entire row of people were in the wrong balcony seats and we all had to get up and move! As far as productions go, they offer a nice variety. What you like is really personal preference but some shows are definitely better acted than A Christmas Carol was very good. The actor who played Scrooge was really good. I recommend that if you have never seen it here. The Understudy was terrible because the acting was awful! I cannot believe it got good reviews. David Sedaris is always awesome! A tip, get there at least 20-30 minutes before the show starts so you have enough time to park the car and get to your seat. Parking around there is often challenging. read more