A Christmas Carol: The Musical is a 2004 Made for TV movie that is based on a stage musical production that ran at Madison Square Garden from 1994-2003.
This film provides examples of:
- Acting for Two: The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future have earthly forms. They are a lamp lighter, a charity show barker, and a blind hag, respectively.
- Adaptation Expansion: The Past sequence shows Scrooge's father being sent to debtor's prison, Scrooge rejecting the Fezziwigs' application for a loan, and the death of Jacob Marley.
- California Doubling: Shot in Budapest, Hungary.
- Dark Reprise: The Christmas Yet to Come sequence is a medley of dark reprises: "Jolly Good Time", "Link By Link", "You Mean More to Me", "Nothing to Do With Me", and "God Bless Us, Everyone".
- The last two songs, along with "A Place Called Home", get a Triumphant Reprise when Scrooge is reformed.
- Dawson Casting: Nine-year-old Jacob Moriarty as six-year-old Tiny Tim.
- Economy Cast: As in the corresponding stage play, members of an ensemble play a number of roles.
- Fake Brit: The cast is a mix of Hungarians, Ukranians, Americans, and Britons.
- I Am Becoming Song: Scrooge's pleas to God and the Ghost of Christmas Future, in "Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today".
- It's the Best Whatever, Ever!: Tiny Tim calls what would have been his last Christmas "the best Christmas ever".
- Let There Be Snow: It starts to snow just in time for the final number.
- The Musical
- The Oner: Used in the opening to show many characters who will feature later.
- Recurring Riff: "A Place Called Home", "Christmas Together", and "God Bless Us, Everyone" function as overarching themes, rather than isolated songs.
- Shout Out: The director used the dance scene from West Side Story to inspire a romantic scene at the Fezziwigs' ball.
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