‘A good time to stop’: KC acting icon to end his 25-year run as Scrooge
Gary Neal Johnson, a fixture as Ebenezer Scrooge in the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s popular annual production of “A Christmas Carol” for more than two decades, will take one last curtain call as the iconic Dickens character later this year.
Johnson, who has played Scrooge in an estimated 1,100 performances since 2000, has announced that KC Rep’s production of “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” from Nov. 22 to Dec. 27 at Spencer Theatre will end his remarkable run.
“Few actors get a chance to just immerse themselves in one role for nearly 25 years,” Johnson said in a news release. “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’ll look forward to joining 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.”
“A Christmas Carol” is a Kansas City holiday tradition. This will be the 41st year for KC Rep’s production, and Johnson, 75, has been there almost from the start. Before taking over as Scrooge, he played other roles in the show and portrayed Dickens as the show’s narrator for 14 years.
“Gary hasn’t just made this role his own, he’s made it ours,” KC Rep artistic director Stuart Carden said. “For generations of Kansas City audiences, he is, and always will be, our Scrooge.”
Tickets for “A Christmas Carol,” starting at $44, will go on sale July 15. You can get more information at kcrep.org and 816-235-2700.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 11:06 AM.
