Ahh, is there anything more classic Christmas than Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol? There have been several adaptations of the story and a few will likely end up on this list. This is the first--Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.
Mr. Magoo (Jim Backus, best known as Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island--you know, the Millionaire) returns to the stage as Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical version of the Dickens classic. The role fits as Magoo himself is a miser--who won't even spring for a pair of much needed glasses. Magoo's lack of eyesight is often a catalyst for many calamaties off set. The story, otherwise, is well known--miserly Scrooge is visited by three spirits in hopes he will regain the Christmas spirit. The family of Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit--particularly the ill young son Tiny Tim--help Scrooge realize tis better to give then receive.
It is unknown why the special changes the order of the ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas Present is the first ghost while the Ghost of Christmas Past follows him. Also, they knock out the story of Fred, Scrooge's nephew. But the story still retains the other characters we all know and love. I also think this one has the best Past sequence, with the hooligans selling Scrooge's possessions while singing about how bad they are. The legendary Paul Frees lends his voice to many characters, including some of these ne'er-do-wells.
The songs featured in the show are memorable. From the lament young Scrooge sings about being alone in the world to the the Cratchits joyous celebration of Christmas, all will have you humming (and sometimes clapping) along.
For being an entertaining retelling of A Christmas Carol but for never really telling us what a razleberry was, I give Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol four and a half candy canes out of five.
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