A Lehigh Valley holiday tradition returns for its 13th year, as Civic Theatre of Allentown's annual "A Christmas Carol" takes the stage, Dec. 1-17. This year's production of the Charles Dickens classic features a brand new stage set and a brand new director, Civic's new Artistic Director Lenny Leibowitz.

"I feel honored to take part in Civic's wonderful contribution to the holiday season," Leibowitz says. "Working on 'Carol' has really put me in the mood for the holidays."

First Union sponsors the production, also made possible in part by funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Leibowitz's interpretation places Dickens' tale of Scrooge and his ghostly visitations in its original Victorian England. The script has been revamped and tweaked over the years but remains steadfastly faithful to Dickens' original text.

"Dickens' novel is a true classic of English literature," Glassman says. "When we adapted it, we used as much of Dickens' own language as possible; the play is a celebration of both the holidays and the power of literature."

Glassman's husband, Allentown dentist Barry Glassman, plays Ebenezer Scrooge, the quintessential stingy miser transformed by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come. A veteran of both the Civic stage and "A Christmas Carol," Barry Glassman takes his third turn as the miserly Scrooge. The cast of more than 100 features dozens of local children.

"It really is a pleasure to work with all the kids in the cast," Barry Glassman says. "Many of them are back for their second or third ... or fourth ... or fifth year. 'A Christmas Carol' has truly become their holiday tradition -- just as it's become part of a lot of audience members' traditions. And of course, it's a huge part of Sharon's and my holidays. It sounds like a cliché, but it really wouldn't be the holidays without it."

The Allentown Morning Call called the 1997 production "a spectacular example of community theater at its finest," and said of last year's production (set in 1940s New York), "It might be a good idea to see 'A Christmas Carole' to tell us what the season is all about." In 1998, The Easton Express-Times wrote: "'Magical,' 'exhilarating,' inspirational' are the words you'll want to use after viewing this season's production ... a veritable feast for the senses."