“A Christmas Carol” performed by Michael Rose
Celebrity sightings are nothing new in the Elm City. On March 24, 1868, thousands filled the streets outside the former Tontine Hotel (corner of Church and Court) to get a glimpse of literary giant Charles Dickens. The crowd became so unmanageable that hotel management engaged “two stout porters” for crowd control, creating a much-needed barrier between the crowd and the famed author. On Saturday, December 13, 2025, the New Haven Museum (NHM) will usher in the Christmas season with two programs focusing on Dickens—the author’s wildly popular visit to New Haven and his renowned work, “A Christmas Carol.” Entry for both events is free with regular museum admission.
Enjoy a one-man performance of Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” as performed by Michael Rose. In his 90-minute cut of the perennial holiday favorite, Rose embodies over a dozen characters, from Ebeneezer Scrooge to Tiny Tim to the three ghosts of Christmas. The performance will be on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 2 pm., with a reception at 1:30 p.m.
Rose is an actor and theatre educator based in New Haven. He studied theatre at Yale University and the London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts. He directs and performs in plays at the Whitney Center senior living facility and teaches theatre to youth through his own extracurricular programs.
“A Christmas Carol” is one of the most adapted of Dickens’s works, with versions ranging from the Muppets to David Sedaris. Rose notes that the show arose out of a tradition of him reading the novella out loud to his family at Christmas time—he enjoyed it so much that he wanted to share it with the public. Having seen a number of adaptations of “A Christmas Carol,” he wanted to create one that was very true to the original text.
“‘A Christmas Carol’ will always be relevant to people of any faith or background because it is about opening our heart to connection with others.” Rose says. “The tale’s spirit of open-heartedness and generosity is what I hope the public will take from the presentation.”
While you’re there you can enjoy a special “What’s in the Whitney Library?” program, “New Haven Holidays” from 12 to 4 p.m., where librarian Emma Norden will offer a glimpse of Christmas past from the Whitney Library collection. View a charming collection of holiday treasures—from handmade Christmas cards from the early 1900s to greetings from overseas soldiers during WW1. It will also include an astonishing article from the December 24, 1950, New Haven Register recounting Dickens’s 1868 Elm City reading of the “Christmas Carol,” replete with rioting crowds and a ticketing scandal so colossal that the entire appearance was rescheduled and re-ticketed.
Entry for both events is free with regular museum admission.
