Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...So, what to make of “A Christmas Carol” on my fifth viewing at the Goodman? I can’t say that I came away with an unalloyed sense of hope, but rather a sober appreciation for the moral clarity of the Ghost of Christmas Present. In her horror-infused final scene, Thomas reveals two gaunt children (Kelly and Boparai) who represent the societal ills of Ignorance and Want. When Scrooge asks if they are hers, the ghost responds, “They are yours; they belong to all of you.” This collective indictment is a reminder that, though we can’t count on the Scrooges of our own world to change for the better, the rest of us can and should do our parts to banish these scourges from our midst."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...This year’s production features some gorgeous sets by Todd Rosenthal. Rather than utilize the entire stage, Rosenthal’s constructions slide in as individual interiors, each one looking like a beautiful, intricate Christmas ornament (or one of those houses in the tabletop Christmas villages). It’s all lovely, although my “ooh” moment from the show featured its simplest frame: Scrooge and one of the ghosts all alone with a starry night sky behind them."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...The play is a captivating adaptation by Tom Creamer, brought to life under Malkia Stampley's talented direction. The breathtaking set design, crafted by Todd Rosenthal, immerses the audience in the enchanting atmosphere of Victorian London, complemented by Heidi Sue McMath's beautiful costumes. With its eye-popping effects, featuring ghosts and spirits, "A Christmas Carol" remains a timeless classic that beautifully captures the spirit of the holiday season. This enchanting tale is a must-see for the family."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...The 48th annual production of the Goodman Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” is a one-of-a-kind Chicago experience. With fresh direction by Malkia Stampley, the 2025 version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale can boast of a new adaptation by Tom Creamer, making the show funnier and lighter than in previous years. Of course, there are still the same recognizable lines taken from Dickens’ original novel and the same basic structure. "
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...After years of so many excellent productions of this humorous and heartbreaking holiday classic, I thought I knew A CHRISTMAS CAROL. But each and every holiday season the Goodman Theatre surprises me with exciting new surprises that make their production feel fresh, unique and even more extraordinary than the previous year. So, once again, this new production is everything anyone could desire in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This production is bigger and better than ever! It’s what Christmas is all about, and Chicago is very lucky to have it back once more for another holiday season."
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...I wholeheartedly encourage audiences to experience this beloved Goodman holiday tradition - an annual production that never fails to capture the true spirit of the season. For anyone eager to embrace the warmth, wonder, and festive magic of Christmastime, A Christmas Carol at Goodman Theatre is the perfect way to step into the holiday “spirit.”"
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Director Malkia Stampley has been the Goodman's BOLD Artistic Director since 2021, and is also an established actor. Stampley's direction has the mark of a keen social observer and a wonderful sense of whimsy. This production is one of the spookiest versions I have seen on stage. The opening scene is a black-and-white, fogged cityscape of Victorian London, a city of great wealth and staggering poverty. The street then fills with people, vendors with racks of geese, roasted chestnuts, and holiday revelry."
Chicago Theater and Arts
- Highly Recommended
"...The unique contribution of The Goodman tradition has been to broaden the universality of the message through colorblind, gender neutral and mixed ethnic casting as well as incorporating the use of American sign language. It provides a chance for virtually everyone to see themselves in the characters on stage while reminding us that we are all a part of a larger world."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...At a time when the gap between the haves and the have-nots has grown to levels not seen since the Gilded Age (if then), A Christmas Carol seems particularly important. Dickens’ novel celebrates the powerful positivity that poorer people often seem to possess even as it takes the rich to task for failing to treat others more fairly and front-ends the idea that money can’t buy happiness. Would that humanity would finally embrace this notion from 1843; then it might truly be a happy Christmas."
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...Tis the season at Goodman Theatre and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” opened on Sunday, heralding in the holiday in festive form. The classic adaptation by Tom Creamer is stylishly directed this year by Malkia Stampley and once again stars Christopher Donahue in an outstanding performance as the irascible humbug Ebenezer Scrooge who finds the true meaning of Christmas, life, and the errors of his ways, through the eyes of three devilishly haunting spirits."
BroadwayWorld
- Highly Recommended
"...The wonderful thing about holiday traditions is that they can never really ever be the same from one year to the next. By the time the holiday season rolls around again, we carry 365 days' worth of experiences and lessons with us into our plans and routines, to say nothing of the friends and loved ones we gain--and lose--along the way. So it's perhaps no wonder that The Goodman Theatre's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, now in its 48th year, still tells a timeless story of love and redemption that nevertheless feels timely in a year when Chicago has seen so much hatred and cruelty."
