The Christmas Carving
6M, 5W, 1 boy, 1 girl, plus numerous children and villagers
(10-20).
2 Acts, 86 pages
19 songs
The Christmas Carving is a re-imagining of how St. Nicholas came to be. In the far northern village of Nordovik lives a brilliantly gifted wood carver, Nicholas Walken. His toys are famous, but his disposition is infamous. He is hard and close-fisted, caused mainly by the fact that he and his mother, who is desperately ill, are very poor. A Stranger comes to town, an obviously magical being, who is on a mission to find a special man. Not surprisingly, this turns out to be Nicholas. Besides toys, Nicholas has been working on a beautiful work of art, with which he hopes to gain wealth and help his mother. The greedy merchant Geldlieber overhears Nicholas' friends talking about the carving, and schemes to obtain it. The Stranger intervenes, gets rid of Geldlieber, reunites Nicholas with his childhood sweetheart (did I forget to mention her?), and Nicholas is set on a new course in life: magically delivering toys to children everywhere on Christmas Eve.
Cast of Characters
- Nicholas Walken. A woodcarver and toymaker, hard-hearted and avaricious.
- Kristen Bergen. The mayor's daughter and ex-romantic interest of Nicholas.
- Stranger. A stranger to Nordovik, mysterious and magical. A man on a mission.
- Mariel. His travelling companion, impish and sarcastic.
- Jan Thorenson. A young man, Nicholas' best friend.
- Frieda Baldersen. Jan's fiancé and Kristen's best friend. Somewhat of an airhead.
- Mayor Bergen. The mayor of Nordovik, pompous but good-hearted.
- Dame Hilda Bergen. The mayor's wife, level-headed and protective, even if a bit bossy.
- Waldo Bergen. His teenage son, overly fond of the dinner table.
- Sonja Bergen. His young daughter, also not unfamiliar with the dinner table.
- Herr Geldlieber. A merchant, the richest man in town. He is greedy, cruel and heartless.
- Dame Walken. Nicholas' widowed mother, in ill health, but wanting only happiness for her son.
- Fritz. Geldlieber's coachman.
- Villagers and children (some children have small speaking parts)
Musical Numbers
"Easy To Find"
"Christmas In Our Town"
"When He Was a Lad"
"A Toy By Nicholas"
"Christmas In Our Town (Reprise)"
"What I See In Him"
"Perfect Stranger"
"No Magic Needed"
"Advantageous"
"No Magic Needed (Reprise)"
"How Did We Fail To See?"
"All In An Afternoon"
"Ribbons and Bows"
"My Life Is My Work"
"Traveling Light"
"We Can Do Without the Men"
"When the Snow Lies"
"Flying Out of Time"
Set: There are two set locations, the village square of Nordovik, and the cottage of Nicholas and his mother.
Read an excerpt
Performance Video. Here is the link to a video of a production. Christmas Carving YouTube video
