For 13 consecutive years, A Noise Within has staged Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with an artistic principle that borders on monastic: not a single word of the 1843 novella may be changed. No additions. No cuts. Every line spoken on stage comes directly from Dickens himself.
This commitment to textual fidelity distinguishes A Noise Within’s production as the region’s longest-running annual holiday tradition. “A Christmas Carol is the greatest story of redemption ever written,” says Geoff Elliott, producing artistic director. “We make new discoveries each time we do it.”
The production transforms what might seem like a creative straitjacket into something far more powerful: a direct conduit between Victorian moral philosophy and contemporary audiences grappling with inequality, redemption and human transformation. Dickens’ fierce condemnation of industrial capitalism’s treatment of the poor, disabled and working classes resonates with 21st century California audiences.
Despite the constraint of unaltered text, A Noise Within has cultivated a reputation for artistic innovation. Original music composed by Robert Oriol functions as emotional architecture guiding audiences through Scrooge’s psychological journey. The production features “innovative staging, whimsical costumes, original music and boundless good cheer,” according to Visit Pasadena.
A 2024 review from NoHo Arts District called it “another perfect production.” The company has implemented Relaxed Performances with reduced sound and lighting effects, serving audience members with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay and sensory sensitivities.
“It’s such a joyous experience to return to ‘A Christmas Carol’ annually,” says co-director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. “It reminds us of the power of community, compassion and transformation, the very things the holidays are meant to celebrate.”
“A Christmas Carol” will run through Wednesday, Dec. 24, at 2:00 p.m. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., in Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 356-3100 or visit https://www.anoisewithin.org/play/a-christmas-carol-2025/. Ticket prices: $51.50, including fees; student tickets, $25.
