The Playhouse is developing this new holiday musical with book and lyrics by Stephen Tomac and music by Michael Shaieb.

John Simpkins directs a cast that includes Jason SweetTooth Williams (Bloodsong of Love) as Big Tim, Lisa Howard (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as BB, Todd Alan Johnson (Aida) as Scrooge, A.J. Shively (La Cage aux Folles) as Fezziwig, Michael Marcotte (Anyone Can Whistle) as Husky Tim, Lauren Marcus (Pregnancy Pact) as Fred, Rachael Murray as Christmas Carolyn, Joanne Shea as Tiny Tim, Jane Kivnick as Yay Sayer and David Fanning as Tim Cratchit VII.

Eric Kang is the music director.

Here's how it's billed: "It is 170 years after Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, in a modern city not unlike New York. Scrooge is long dead. Surviving him is his heir: the great-great-great-great-great grandson of Tiny Tim, Tim Cratchit the VIII. Tim is the head of an enormously successful Martha Stewart-like empire devoted to 'Honouring Christmas in Your Heart, and Keeping It All the Year.' Success has not only made him healthy, but possibly a little too healthy, hence his nickname. Big Tim has devoted his life to celebrating Christmas Every Day. Nothing is too festive, or too grand, or too much. His philosophy is simple: the More, the Merrier. On this Christmas Eve, Big Tim is visited by several ghosts determined to remind him – like Scrooge before – of the true meaning of Christmas."

This concert performance features a reading of the script and some of the musical material, followed by a talkback with the creative team. The Sharon Playhouse plans to produce a full production in December 2015. The Sharon Playhouse is located at 49 Amenia Road in Sharon, CT. For more information, visit TriArts.net. Tickets for each concert reading are $20 for adults and $15 for children (12 and under). They can be reserved by calling (860) 364-7469, ext.100 or emailing [email protected].