3 Ghosts

Sometimes musically inclined children like to put on living-room productions for their relatives around the holidays. Donning makeshift costumes and using melodies from their favorite movies and shows, they concoct an exuberant evening of revelry for a captive audience. Pipe Dream Theatre's musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" feels more like that—an amateur event for friends and family—than a full-fledged professional production.

Liz Muller and Collin Simons' elementary script translates Dickens' iconic holiday work almost verbatim while adding a smattering of original songs with music by Simons and lyrics by Muller. Unfortunately, her lyrics are generic and frankly almost laughable, and his music makes each song sound exactly the same as the one before.

Peter Muller's set is a cheap interpretation of Eugene Lee's for "Wicked," with a rear facing large clock and gears peppered around the stage. Liz Muller and Vanessa Price's costumes are clearly inspired by "Wicked" as well, with many ornate headpieces, striped corsets, and ruched skirts. Danielle Moreau and Stefanie Raccuglia's choreography is simple, but the execution becomes difficult when the 40-person cast crowds the stage in ensemble numbers.

There are no standout performances among the cast. Liz Muller, who wears just about every hat in the show, also plays arguably the best female role, the Ghost of Christmas Past. She acts and sings passionately, but the character and her interpretation come across as trite. None of the voices sound trained, with Brady Lynch exhibiting the best pipes of the bunch as Belle, Scrooge's old flame. Elio Lleo is fine as Scrooge, given the show's circumstances, but he looks no older than 30, so his Christmas Eve crisis of mortality is hard to believe.

However, there is heart behind this show, and these kids are not performing for the critics. At the performance I attended, the audience was filled with cheering sections for each performer, and a proud parent was even snapping pictures in front of me. Just don't expect to see "3 Ghosts" pop up anywhere soon.

Presented by Pipe Dream Theatre at the Beckett Theatre, 410 W. 42nd St., NYC. Dec. 8–23. Wed.–Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 and 7 p.m. (Additional performance Tue., Dec. 20, 7 p.m.) (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250, or www.telecharge.com.