KC Rep Theatre saying goodbye to ‘A Christmas Carol’ performer after over 40 years
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas City performer Gary Neal Johnson will step out of the spotlight after playing Scrooge for 24 years, announced by the Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KC Rep) Artistic Director, Stuart Carden, on June 12.
Johnson will take his final bow as Ebenezer Scrooge on December 27.
Johnson has been performing Scrooge for more than an estimated 1100 performances. This sets an unconfirmed record of an actor playing the role in A Christmas Carol throughout the United States.
Before Johnson took on the role of Scrooge in 2000, he played other roles in the production, including Jacob Marley, Charles Dickens and Old Joe, during the over 40 years the show played at the KC Rep.
I’m a pretty lucky fella. Few actors get a chance to just immerse themselves in one role for nearly 25 years. What a role it is! And what a joy it has been to play him. After this year, it will be a good time to stop. I know that, above all else, I’ll miss people stopping me in the grocery store, or out anywhere, who want to talk about it, and tell me their history with it, and what it means to them and their family year after year. And, after doing the play for what will be 41 years, and portraying Scrooge for 24 of those years, I’ll look forward to ing those folks in the audience and having a new perspective on the old guy...and this wonderful story. But not yet! I’m still taking one more crack at it! I invite you to be a part of this magical holiday story and re-discover the spirit of the season. Please, me. It could be the best one yet!
In 2025, A Christmas Carol will run from November 22 through December 27 at Spencer Theatre.
“For more than two decades, thousands of Kansas Citians have come to know both Gary and themselves more deeply through his profoundly honest and committed journey of transformation as Ebenezer Scrooge,” Carden said. “From the moment he waves his contract to dry the ink—under the watchful, weary eye of Bob Cratchit—to the unforgettable hop-skip and ‘whoop!’ that marks his rebirth, Gary hasn’t just made this role his own—he’s made it ours. For generations of Kansas City audiences, he is, and always will be, our Scrooge!”
Tickets for Johnson’s final season will go on sale on July 15 and can be purchased here.
More information and the 2025-2026 season can be found on the KC Rep website.
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