There is a brand-new take on A Christmas Carol for theater fans in the DC Metro area. Director Marc Pugh focuses on the character Emily Cratchit in A Christmas Carol Reimagined musical at Cornerstone Church. Most of the familiar players fill the stage, but the shift allows tension from a different point of view. It works splendidly. Angela Pugh wrote the music and lyrics that drive the story through five acts. Charles Dickens’ timeless A Christmas Carol was written in 1843. Instead of centering on the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge, this version of the tale concentrates on Emily Cratchit (Natasha Alston). Mrs. Cratchit is not only Tim’s mother and Bob’s wife, but she also serves as Ebeneezer Scrooge’s (William Powell) maid. Emily has built much animosity for her boss over her 15-year tenure. The hate poisons Emily. The ghost of Mrs. Harding (Rachel Brown), the abusive matron who made life miserable for children in her orphanage, visits Mrs. Cratchit at midnight on December 25 and tells her to expect three angels. The angels tell Emily what was, is, and may come unless Emily makes some attitude changes to her life. Brown is fantastic as a heartless witch threatening to starve her wards unless they produce for her in “These Undesirables.” When a young mother appears with another mouth to feed, there is no room in the orphanage until the mother produces a fat fistful of pounds sterling. Now Brown sings a different tune, “So Desirable,” until she can force the mother out and hands the baby, Emily, to an older orphan who knows what to do with it. Somehow, a locket the mother gives the baby stays with her throughout her life. A nod is given to young love when the poor Bob (Samuel Harrison) and Emily (Jayden Brown) court on a park bench in London with “I Love You More.” By the song’s end, he is carrying her over the threshold. Tiny Tim (Scott Harrison) is featured in Act III in “Someday.” The crippled boy sits front stage center with his crutch across his lap as he sings. A huge screen backstage shows Tim standing from a log on which he is sitting and running free. This Act is a visit to Christmas Present. It ends with mother Emily Cratchit weeping over the sole prop on stage — Tiny Tim’s gravestone. Stage Manager Diana Wilson’s rolling props were very effective, but this one prop, aided by the graveyard scene on the screen, stood out visually. Ryan Pratico’s lighting direction throughout the production suggested a taste of professionalism greater than many community theaters in the area. By the time the Angel of Christmas Future visits, Emily sees how much she has degraded as a person. When Scrooge dies, Emily leads the ensemble in “Thank You Very Much” on a London street. It is also Emily who snatched a silk burying shirt off the corpse, the curtains, and the best linen to sell. Alston leads Briell Sakyi, Eva Cate Pugh, Hope Nevins, Michelle Barker, and Karl Crank in “Birds of a Feather,” celebrating cashing in on death. Seeing herself as that person, Emily seeks to change in “I Surrender.” For those who think you know how the story ends or I have given away the plot, this musical is about Emily. The work is new. Surprises remain. Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes, with a 5-minute Christian invitation. A Christmas Carol Reimagined plays through Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 7:00 p.m at Cornerstone Church, 16010 Annapolis Rd., Bowie, MD. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donation of a nonperishable food item is greatly appreciated. The cast credits are here and behind-the-scene credits are here.