Franni Rae Cash Cain, former lead singer for We The Kingdom, sings the opening song for the movie Carol surrounded by dancers from TC Dance Academy for the Performing Arts. The scene was filmed in downtown Albion in February. The movie is Franni Rae’s big-screen debut. Photos provided by Trine University.

News Release

ANGOLA — Carol, a modern, faith-based musical filmed in northeast Indiana earlier this year, will be featured in special one-time events at Trine University’s T. Furth Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, Dec. 5, and the Community Learning Center in Kendallville on Friday, Dec. 6.

Cast and crew from the film will be in attendance at both locations. The run time of the movie is 1 hour, 55 minutes.

Steuben County Premiere

The T. Furth Center for Performing Arts will host showings of Carol in the Ryan Concert Hall at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The event will include a special screen set up for the showing and a red-carpet walk with cast and crew.

Doors will open to the T. Furth Center one hour prior to each showing. Doors to Ryan Concert Hall will open at 5 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. showing and 7:45 p.m. for the 8 p.m. showing.

The T. Furth Center hosted dance rehearsals for Carol, and one scene was filmed on the Ryan Concert Hall stage featuring dancers from TC Dance Academy for the Performing Arts in Kendallville.

“We filmed much of the movie in and around Angola, and many local people turned out to help provide meals and serve as extras,” said James Tew, executive producer of Carol along with his wife Shannon. “We know everyone is excited to see the end product and we’re excited to share Carol with the community.”

“We also greatly appreciate the support Trine University provided, not only with rehearsals and filming, but with housing cast and crew. Plus, everyone who got to experience the Ryan Concert Hall was awestruck by the beauty of that space, so it’s fitting that we’ll get to host a homecoming of sorts there for everyone involved.”

Tickets are $20 and are available beginning Friday, Oct. 18, at trine.edu/furthtickets.

Noble County Premiere

The Community Learning Center will host showings at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. in its Strauss Theatre for Performing Arts.

A reception with cast and crew will be included with the event.

Craig Munk, retired longtime East Noble Theatre director and a member of the CLC board, makes his big-screen debut at the beginning of Carol.

The movie includes one scene filmed at a private residence in Kendallville and several, including Carol’s opening, filmed in downtown Albion.

The original play Carol is based on was performed at the First Church of God in Kendallville in 2013.

“Kendallville is where everything began. It’s also the hometown of our choreographer Maude-Jo Yerrick and home to TC Dance, which provided our wonderful dancers,” said Tew. “It’s wonderful that we’re able to bring Carol full-circle in this way.”

Tickets are $10 for the CLC showing and are available at thecommunitylearningcenter.org/performing-arts.

Small-Town Indiana Setting

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” Carol tells the story of Solomon Lynch, played by Aaron Fullan from Surprised By Oxford and The Glitch, a self-centered slacker and the resident Scrooge of the small, struggling town of Springdale, Ind. Estranged from his family, Solomon comes face-to-face with the real Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Paul Kandarian from Pursuit of Freedom, on Christmas Eve and is taken on a musical journey through his past, present and future.

While the story uses devices and characters from “A Christmas Carol,” it includes its own unique twists and turns, with diverse musical styles, poignant moments and humor throughout the film.

In the end, it will take much more than Christmas spirit for Solomon to make things right.

The movie is receiving a national theatrical release during the Christmas season.

In a scene from the movie Carol filmed at the SelmanTimber Frame in Angola, Solomon Lynch, played by Aaron Fullan, sings “Stay Here” as he relives meeting his wife Carol, played by Colleen Amaya, for the first time in Christmas Past.