A Christmas Carol is a story which has been adapted repeatedly since its premiere in 1843, but the Pipe Dream Theatre Company’s interpretation of the story as a steampunk musical entitled 3 Ghosts, might be one of the most original.  The musical is as clever as it is creative with a very youthful cast and strong original music by Collin Simon with lyrics from Elizabeth Muller who also does a great job as the ghost of Christmas past.

The real heart of the musical is the music, which occasionally intermingles melodies of well known Christmas songs, and when the cast is tight as is the case in the Christmas past and future segments, it’s terrific.  As in any production of the story, a strong Scrooge is key and Elio Lleo does a terrific job as well as some of the supporting cast such as Katherine Murphy as Mrs. Cratchit and Brady Lynch as Belle, both of whom rose to the occasion both vocally and dramatically.  The set design is a bit sparse, especially considering the steampunk motif, but the costumes and staging helped along with the unique portrayal of the ghost of Christmas future as a group of  masked, coalescing dancing performers.

The show certainly has some issues, most notably the lack of microphones causing some of the less vivacious singers to be almost inaudible, but luckily it’s an intimate theater and the musical’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses thanks to an ardent ensemble and some engaging choreography.  3 Ghosts is currently playing through December 23, so if you are in need of a little Christmas spirit sci-fi style, its well worth seeing.

3 Ghosts runs at The Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row, through December 23. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit  http://www.theatrerow.org/thebeckett.htm.