'Scrooge!' Will Take Center Stage At Oak Creek Assembly of God

There is no shortage of people involved in twice-yearly productions.

This weekend will be no different.

More than 200 people total have given their time toward the production of Scrooge!, to be held this weekend at the church, 7311 S. 13th St.

And there shouldn't be a shortage of audience members, either.

Between 10,000 and 12,000 people are expected to attend one of five performances scheduled for the weekend, Pastor Greg Lathe said. Residents have an opportunity to see the musical at 7 p.m. Friday, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 3:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday.

The 3:30 p.m. Saturday performance is already sold out, though there may be limited tickets available 15 minutes before showtime, according to the official website.

Assembly of God does two productions a year - on Christmas and Easter - with members of the congregation. For this year's Christmas selection, Lathe adapted the script from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

The performance will feature 70 choir members, 30 orchestra members and 60 people in the cast. An additional 50 people are involved in the technical crew.

With the quality level so high, many audience members assume the church hire professional actors to stage its musicals, Lathe said.

Not the case: all of the people working with Scrooge! are members of the congregation, he said. And with each musical, the number of congregation members involved with the performance grows.

This weekend will also give many in the community their first glimpse at Assembly of God's expansion, which includes a food court that will allow people to enjoy refreshments and visit with friends, Lathe said.

For more information on tickets, which are free, visit ChristmasAtOakCreek.com.