A beloved holiday tradition that plays out each near on New Jersey stages will not be silenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Versions of “A Christmas Carol” are being performed live or virtually by various theater organizations in the Garden State, including at Centenary Stage in Hackettstown.

“I felt it was a gesture in some ways, a gesture of hopefulness. Keeping the lights on, keeping the candle lit in the cave of the theatre so to speak,” says artistic director Carl Wallnau. “That we were going to do everything we could to keep the tradition of the theatre alive."

Centenary Stage is not the only professional theater in New Jersey offering a version of "A Christmas Carol" this year. Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan will stage a live production with actor Jan Topoleski playing all the parts. McCarter Theatre in Princeton sold out of its “A Christmas Carol at Home” boxed kits in which people can act out the parts themselves.

There are also several local community theater groups doing "A Christmas Carol" and online streaming opportunities of the holiday classic.