Another Miracle on the Stage of the Citadel

The Show Must Go On for The Citadel Theatre as ‘A Christmas Carol’ Goes Digital

Filmed in only eight days, this year’s A Christmas Carol has the Citadel Theatre tired and very proud.

“The Citadel team has adapted and changed quickly and we have been able to avoid going completely dark,” says Kim Stadelmann, Senior Director, Sales and Patron Development.

“We are so excited to now be streaming shows into homes. This change will allow us to safely reach the community and possibly open doors to individuals who might not have been able to physically make it to our building.”

Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) hopes so too. That is why on October 13, ECF donated $50,000 to the Citadel as part of the Government of Canada’s $350-million Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) to help charities and non-profit organizations adapt and increase frontline services to vulnerable people during COVID-19. Because of this, they can create a digital version of Edmonton theatre’s Christmas mainstay A Christmas Carol.

“The funding is helping to offset the costs of getting a professional team of videographers to film and edit the production,” Stadelmann says. “We were able to hire almost all of the artists that were in our 2019 production to be a part of our 2020 filmed version.

“Without the support of the Edmonton Community Foundation, we would not have been able to hire the number of professionals to create a stunning version of an Edmonton Christmas tradition.”

As for the changes from stage to screen, Stadelmann acknowledges the obvious differences, but says this has given the artistic talent of the Citadel community a unique opportunity. Gone is the audience, but not the spirit of theatre.

“David  van Belle updated his beautiful adaption for film; he added a narrator to help flow from scene to scene,” adds Stadelmann. “We filmed on the Rice stage and were able to capture intimate moments that are not always visible from the back of the theatre. The team hustled and filmed in only eight days, which is record timing. They captured the magic that is A Christmas Carol to bring to the community in their homes.”

Learn more about ECF’s COVID-19 response.