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'Scrooge' is great fun for kids
(by Herb Hammer - November 23, 2011)
'Scrooge' is great fun for kids
Getting the Christmas season off to an early start, Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is staging the Leslie Bricusse musical "Scrooge." This bubbly production is the staged version originally performed in 1992 and a copy of the 1970 film.
The CVLT production features a 37-member cast, many from the same family. By the looks of things, with all the children on stage, it's easy to see that, for many of them, it's their first time.
But that doesn't hurt the show. Actually, it's kind of fun watching the kids make their way around technical director Edmund Wolff's well-designed London Street set.
The show gets down to the basic premise early. The Dickens tale is followed closely as Ebeneezer Scrooge, who is all "bah, humbug," proves early what a mean old skinflint he has become. In an unusual twist, Paul Sloop plays Scrooge and has brought five members of the Sloop family along to play part of the Cratchit family.
When Scrooge arrives home from his regular day of meanness, he soon finds the ghost of his longtime dead partner, Jacob Marley. At CVLT, Marley arrives through a trap door in the stage. Red smokes precedes him as he is chained up and bellowing at Scrooge. It's quite a sight and well worth a look. This Marley entrance is the best you'll ever see and puts the show on solid footing.
The songs do little to move the play forward. The Leslie Brickuss songs are mostly bland and uninteresting. But this lively cast appears to be having a fine old time singing them.
As the story meanders in its usual "A Christmas Carol" fashion, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come greet old Scrooge. They show him what was, what is and what is next in the old man's life.
Following the original story closely, old Ebeneezer suddenly finds himself redeemed. He quickly goes from bad old miser to good old miser. By now, of course, he isn't a miser anymore as he gives gifts to everyone and a fine Christmas dinner and raise in pay for Bob Cratchit.
Great standouts pop up everywhere. Don Bernardo, who plays two roles, is excellent, the perfect Dickens character.
Also nicely cast is Seth Clerget, as the overworked, underpaid Bob Crachit. Jon Gellott is lively showing off his excellent talent as Scrooge's nephew.
Little Casey Sloop is a wonderful Tiny Tim, and Claire Mulvaney, as the "Punch and Judy" puppeteer, does a cleverly performed turn.
Brian Diehl is scary as Marley's ghost rising from under the stage with all that smoke and fury. On opening night, he had some difficulty with his rattling chains but played through the problem perfectly.
Those who have been to Chagrin Valley Little Theatre will be amazed how director Michael Rogan put 37 performers on the relatively small stage without causing problems.
Paul Sloop is a fine actor but not in the role of Scrooge. He plays Scrooge much too young, and, though the script gives him many opportunities to be a creepy, miserable miser, he never makes it.
Outside of a poorly done Christmas yet to come, the show is quite the family musical.
Bring the kids.
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