Despite the stinginess of the old miser who we know as Scrooge, a local theatrical production known as Christmas with Scrooge attracts an abundance of generosity.

Newman Family Productions will be presenting Christmas with Scrooge for its 47th year since it started. This musical adaptation will be at ArtSpring from December 20th to 23rd. With a veritable cast of thousands dancing and singing islanders into the past, present, and future over the past half-century, this piece of homegrown theatre, according to Kathy Ramsey, is truly a Salt Spring holiday tradition. One enthusiastic donor called it “the sheer essence of ‘Salt Spring-ness.’”

Kathy, who is chair of the Inclusivity Campaign committee and president of BC Arts, added, “One of our anonymous donors gave us enough to drop kids’ ticket prices by $5 from our original projections. Why? Because he couldn't think of a better antidote to the political nastiness creeping into our everyday experiences and felt that island youth needed to hear a different story — one of kindness and goodwill. He almost had me crying!"

The goodwill doesn’t end there. Kathy also said that the Inclusivity Campaign has been working hard to provide access to and participation in this event to everyone in our community, with a special focus on seniors, youth, the disadvantaged, and those with mobility issues.

All of the tickets for Christmas with Scrooge are sold out, but don’t despair! Country Grocer is giving away 3 pairs of tickets!

A draw for one pair of tickets will be held at 5pm on December 15th. All you have to do is “like” Country Grocer SSI’s Facebook post about the Christmas with Scrooge ticket giveaway by December 15th at 5pm. The names of all those who “liked” the post will be put into a hat, and one winner will be drawn randomly and announced on Country Grocer's Facebook page at 5pm.

For the other two pairs of tickets, watch for a follow-up article here on the Exchange, and also watch the Facebook page for Country Grocer SSI.

Country Grocer knows that Christmas with Scrooge is an island tradition, and to ensure that islanders get to enjoy this musical again and again, it has become an annual presenting sponsor: Country Grocer is on board for supporting the production over the next three years!

Ramsey said, "Thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors and individuals, we've been able to take this to Seniors' Facilities, out into the community, the hospital, into the school, and even into Country Grocer! And through our donors' generosity, we've been able to purchase and disburse tickets through several island social agencies such as Community Services to make our tickets available to all."

Kathy recalled that at the age of seven she was a cast member of the 1971 production of Christmas with Scrooge: "I trace my strong commitment to the arts back to this play. As a wee kid, I was totally fascinated by how Ray and Virginia Newman managed to animate our island community with song, dance, and theatre within just a few months of moving here.  Ray and Virginia are no longer with us, but the memory of their contribution to our community still lives with me, so when I bumped into their daughter, Sue Newman, a few months ago, and Sue said she was remounting the show — well, I couldn't not be involved!"