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Dickens tale keeps entertaining
(by Herb Hammer - December 09, 2010)
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
Dickens tale keeps entertaining
It's hard to imagine how, after 22 consecutive years, "A Christmas Carol" can still draw audiences to the Great Lakes Theater Festival. By the looks of things, there's no end in sight. Children who came to see the show the first season are now bringing their children.
The latest version of Gerald Freedman's adaptation, though riddled with flaws, continues to have the warm spirit of rebirth. And though we all know that Scrooge will go through a miraculous life change by the final curtain, we can hardly wait to see it, at least one more time.
Victoria Bussert has brought her uncanny directorial talents to this production and has done us one huge favor. With hardly recognizable cuts here and there, she has brought "A Christmas Carol" in under two hours.
It's not long after Scrooge proves his miserly meanness that Marley's ghost turns up, chains and all, to frighten Ebeneezer out of his wits. The smoke-filled floor of Scrooge's bedroom practically erupts. This steamy, smoky routine continues to return until you wish they would kindly shut it off.
As Scrooge more or less hangs around in his nightshirt, the well-known ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come do a number on old Ebeneezer. The fun is witnessing the possibilities of turning selfishness and greed into kindliness and caring.
Special effects abound, especially when the upstage wall splits apart as though a whole new play is about to take over. The visuals give this version of Dickens' old story a bright, fascinating light.
Miss Bussert has helped the play by taking Fezziwig's ball and cut all the dancing, laughing and singing down to a minute or two. Most often, this scene of Scrooge's one-time employer's ball drags on and on.
Another shortened scene is at Ebeneezer's nephew's party, where they all laugh at Scrooge while he stands hidden from sight.
The best is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, where a 20-foot ghost hovers over a spooky cemetery while Scrooge's belongings are divided up among the poor. Of course, the steam has returned to nearly obliterate the scene.
Aled Davies returns for the third time as Scrooge. Mr. Davies is just not Scrooge enough to play Scrooge. In fact, he looks more like Benjamin Franklin.
Another casting problem is Donald Carrier as Bob Cratchit. The tall, dashing Mr. Carrier appears to be more prosperous than his slave-driving boss.
In the Gerald Freedman adaptation, a Victorian family gathers around Mother, in this case the talented Laura Perrotta, as she reads "A Christmas Carol" from an oversized book.
While she reads, her family gradually breaks away and becomes part of the story. Though not a fatal flaw, this clever twist takes something away from the original Dickens tale.
Every so often, the stage is loaded with children as storefronts are slid onto the stage, creating a modern Christmas scene. Christmas songs are sung, giving the entire proceedings a jolly appearance. Whether or not this belongs in Charles Dickens' 19th-century story is questionable.
But through it all, this "feel-good" version of the most popular of all Christmas stories has enough going for it to send everyone home thoroughly entertained.
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