A Christmas Carol Litany

You know how people set goals for themselves, like watching a baseball game in every major league stadium across the country?  Last year I decided I would watch every version of A Christmas Carol that was in my library system.  I didn't think it was that big a deal.  But that's what I always think when I get an idea and don't know anything about it.   After about five versions, I got full and decided I'd have to leave the others to another year(s).

There are serious renditions (Alastair Sim, George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart).  There are animated versions (Mr. Magoo, Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street, etc.)

The oddest (creepiest) one I've seen was the 1938 version with Reginald Owen.  The most colorful one was the 2008 version with Barbie (yes, the doll.)

The rarest version will be shown on Turner Classic Movie Channel on December 16 and 22, 2012.  Its name is Carol for Another Christmas, a made-for-tv movie that was shown only once (in 1964).  It was sponsored by Xerox Corporation as a means of promoting the United Nations.  The hook to this version is international affairs.

However, if you like Broadway musicals, this is the version for you.   It's a 2004 Hallmark production, score by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.  You might not know the name Alan Menken, but you probably would recognize his music.  He's won Oscars for Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin.

There are lots of familiar faces in this movie and it's interesting to see the range of talent they have beyond the television shows we are accustomed to seeing them in:

• Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Wings, Frasier) is Scrooge.  You've heard him sing Frasier's theme song, "Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs."  He won a Tony award (the Oscar equivalent for Broadway) in 2010.
• Jane Krakowski (Ally McBeal, 30 Rock) is the Ghost of Christmas Past.  She sings occasionally on 30 Rock, but I didn't know she also was a Tony winner.   
• Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), who plays Marley, is another Tony winner.
•  Jesse L. Martin (Ally McBeal, Law & Order) is the Ghost of Christmas Present.  He's best known for his work in the Broadway musical Rent.  Martin will be joining the cast of Smash, season 2, for six episodes starting in January 2013.  (If you like Broadway musicals, you must watch Smash!!!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This is my copy of A Christmas Carol.  It's a 1937 edition that I bought over thirty years ago and have never read!!  I decided to read it this week.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I figure as I work my way through the litany of Christmas Carol movies, I ought to pay respect to Charles Dickens' version.
  
  What is your favorite version of A Christmas Carol?