Creating an Urban Legend: A Conversation with George Faison and Ebon Charles

By Walter Rutledge

Christmas Poster edit

On December 5, 2013 Bah Humbug from The Notorious E.B. Scrooge premiered at the Faison Firehouse Theater. The production was conceived, written, directed and choreographed by George Faison. Ebon Charles, who also performed the role of E.B. Scrooge- a ruthless record mogul, and Hip Hop artist Rah Digga contributed additional material. Faison’s urban adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol used rap music as the storytelling devise, transforming the holiday classic into an urban legend.

There have been musical renditions of Dickens’ story of redemption through reinvention for both stage and screen. Faison and his collaborators converted the musical format into a hip-hop operetta; using the versatility of rap’s spoken word cadence to create a libretto. The production is still in the development stage. Faison used the intimate Faison Firehouse Theater as a laboratory, testing out the production in a low-pressure environment for audience feedback. We had an opportunity to discuss the production with George Faison and Ebon Charles at the Faison Firehouse Theater.

 

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