Ilana Keller

@ilanakeller

"Broadway Sings The Muppet Christmas Carol" features no furry or felted friends on stage.

Don't fret, Julia Murney says.

"If there’s anybody who can replace Muppets, it’s these people, because they are terribly talented and terribly funny," said Murney ("Wicked," "Lennon"), who is playing Ebenezer Scrooge's neglected fiancee Belle in the production, slated for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

Murney, a member of Broadway's self-proclaimed “green girl sisterhood” as one of "Wicked's" first Elphabas, will be joined by an all-star cast, including two-time Emmy winner Judy Gold as Scrooge, Ryann Redmond ("If/Then," "Bring It On"), Bret Shuford ("Amazing Grace," "Paramour"), Joshua Morgan ("Les Miserables"), Kevin Zak ("Clinton the Musical," "Silence!"), Phillip Taratula ("The Outs," "Empire Travel Agency"), Will Porter ("A Chorus Line," "Cats"), Gretchen Wylder ("Clinton the Musical," "Bedbugs!"), Sara Gallo and Amanda McDowall.

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The twist on the holiday classic film will include Paul Williams' entire score, including "Scrooge," "It Feels Like Christmas," "Thankful Heart" and "Marley and Marley," as well as a few numbers that didn't make it onto the silver screen.

"If you actually went back and listened to a lot of the Muppets music, from all of the Muppets films and the show, they’re incredible," Murney said. "Paul Williams wrote a lot of them. It’s really wonderful music and sort of subversive, because you think of some strange felt character singing it. Sort of like the modern version of 'Bugs Bunny.' The kids could watch it and just laugh, and the grownups could watch it and get a completely different level out of it."

Redmond, who plays Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, also is eager to dive into the material.

"I’ve read the script and it’s super-funny and I’m excited to see what everybody does with it. It’s such a great, beloved movie and it’ll be fun to bring it to the stage and be silly with a lot of my friends."

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Redmond says Bunsen is a catalyst of change. "He wants Scrooge to donate to charity and obviously Scrooge is very 'bah humbug.' I like to think that Bunsen starts his change over time, and ultimately Scrooge comes around."

Murney and Redmond are change-makers in their own right, each owner of a long resume of charity work for a host of different organizations.

"As I started to be exposed to all of these different, wonderful charities, it was the realization of 'that’s something I can do to help,'” said Murney, who has taken part in Actors Fund concerts of "Chess," "Hair," and "Funny Girl," among many other endeavors. "In addition to volunteering in a physical manner, that is part of what we all as performers are able to do, to entertain in the name of 'let’s raise money for this wonderful organization.' And that feels really good, to take the thing that you work hard on to try to get jobs for yourself and use it completely for other people.

"It’s very moving. From time to time I find myself speechless at how much the people that I get to work with give."

Redmond has a long association with the Broadway Dreams Foundation, which aims "to provide youth and young adults of all socioeconomic backgrounds with performance training, life skills building, and mentorship opportunities from the entertainment industry’s most distinguished talents."

"I started with them as a student about 11 years ago when they first began in Atlanta, which is where I’m from," she said. "I sort of grew up with the program and now I go back and I’m on faculty there and I teach with them all over the world. I think that since I grew up in the program, it was super important for me to have that full circle moment and be the sort of tangible evidence that the program works. It was just great for the students to all see that it was possible and I was in their position a few years ago and I’m now living my Broadway dreams. We’ve got a ton of success stories now, and they just keep growing, so it’s amazing."

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Redmond currently can be seen in off-Broadway's "The Marvelous Wonderettes."

"The first act takes place at the four girls’ prom in 1958, so we get to sing all of those amazing tunes," she said. "After intermission, we come back and it’s 10 years later and they’re at their reunion. So I get to sing songs like 'Respect' and 'Rescue Me' and a bunch of amazing '60s tunes."

For more information about "Broadway Sings The Muppet Christmas Carol," visit njpac.org/events/detail/broadway-sings-the-muppet-christmas-carol

Ilana Keller: 732-643-4260; ikeller@gannettnj.com

BROADWAY SINGS THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

WHEN: 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3

WHERE: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark

TICKETS: $39-$49

INFO: njpac.org