Dickens Dominates Upcoming Holiday Festivities

Consumed today's first reviews of Disney's A Christmas Carol with baited breath in case Dickens' most beloved, Victorian holiday story had been mishandled in any small way. With modern animation magician Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express) at the helm and the one and only Jim Carrey infiltrating the very soul of Scrooge, the critics have been frolicking around like Fezziwig at the warehouse, leaping to new heights to applause the season's most anticipated cinematic offering.

Told the boys we'd wait until the holidays were actually here to head downtown to the Boulevard Theater and claim our seats for the festive ride of the year, though after absorbing the reviews I seriously doubt my own self-will to wait that long.

My soft spot for Dickens and his A Christmas Carol is revealed via my own particularly English brand of 'dulcet tones' , recorded at the 800 line for the upcoming San Francisco Great Dickens Christmas Fair! Call toll free on (800) 510-1558 for info and directions and details on how to pre-purchase tickets for the most fantastic Victorian Christmas card come to life:

FOUR WEEKENDS
including the FRIDAY
after Thanksgiving!
Fri. Nov. 27 thru
Sun. Dec. 20, 2009
11am-7pm
In the Cow Palace
Exhibition Halls

 It's one thing to immerse ourselves in the deep, dark depths of candlelit London in the comfort of a cinema auditorium and quite another thing altogether to wander the lamplit streets of the fantastic Dickens Fair, brushing shoulders with the literary likes of Nancy and Oliver, Mr Fezziwig and his family, even the maestro himself is approachable to the time-traveling visitor willing to participate in real life, festive living history of the unbeatable Victorian variety.

And while I'm on the subject, I'm just wrapping up a read of author Mathew Pearl's "The Last Dickens" which I picked up on a mad dash through Heathrow Aiport en-route back to California from England romps this summer. It sat on my bedside table for quite some time as I ploughed through a pile of great books that took me on a literary tour of various regions of the world. Waiting for the air to chill, Dickens would have his way before the winter and Pearl's novel, fictional approach to uncovering the mysteries of Dickens' unfinished, final "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" has forged an exceptionally fascinating link between the epic writer's extraordinary successes in the USA and the inspiration behind his enduring characters.  

Comments

[Kerry]

I went to the Australian premiere on Wednesday night with some friends and their son.
Can confirm it is a) good, b) very good in 3D, c) a little scary and d) strangely has everyone in Dickens' London speaking with northern accents.
Ne'er thee mind.

[Lindsey]

I was just about to say that I was nervous about American actors speaking in terrible English accents (ot not even bothering) but then I saw Kerry's comment. Interesting - I guess London was a melting pot of people even then, so we'll let that go!!!

[Frances]

Now I am intrigued - will be listening out for the various accents when I do see the movie - maybe sometime this weekend. Would have loved to have attended the Australian premiere with you, Kez! I could have dressed the part and really made an impressive date, feathers, velvets, skirts, you name it, I've got it somewhere in my box of theatrical costume treasures!