There's Scrooge. The nasty old man who doesn't know how to appreciate life or people. He is especially rotten to his clerk, Bob Cratchit, who goes home weary every night to his burgeoning family that happens to include Tiny Tim. Tim, of course, hobbles around with a crutch, lame and undernourished. Enter Marley and the clever and merciless Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come.
We speak here of the Charles Dickens classic story, "A Christmas Carol." Now this story, adapted many, many times to the stage and screen, should rightfully be called "A Christmas Nightmare," but Dickens thought otherwise.
So beloved is this tale that people all over the world wouldn't dream of celebrating without a reading or a viewing of it during the holidays. Thankfully, it will be staged by Laughing Stock Theatre Co. and nexStage Theatre for five performances.
But what's this? Scrooge dances and sings? Marley breaks into song with a bluesy-jazz tune called "Break the Chain?" Clearly something is amiss.
As it happens this version of the show, which Patsy Wygle and Keith Moore saw Off-Broadway last year as done by Theatreworks/NYC, is a lively accessible music that doesn't go in for all those traditional Christmas carols, though there is some spoofing of them. In fact, the 90-minute show has lively, eclectic music, dancing and a frequently funny book.
"The first thing that attracted us was the music," said Moore, who plays the hapless Bob Cratchit. "The music furthers the story."
"It's a real musical," Kathy Wygle said. And this version, rather than being a creep-fest of ghoulish ghosts, is musical entertainment appropriate for children 5 and up.
Tiny Tim is played by Tara Burchmore, a 9-year-old student at Hemingway Elementary in Ketchum. Many actors in the cast of 23 play multiple characters. Five of those performers are Equity actors, who are joined by a committed cast of talents from throughout the valley.
Veteran actor Scott Creighton's Scrooge is purely dotty.
"I like his transformation," Creighton said jauntily. "I think this particular version stresses the fact that he's a lonely boy all grown up, that his money and attitude are shields. His transformation comes through his understanding that he's part of humanity. It's in the song he sings at the end, 'It's a Gift.'"
One of the joys of this play is very specific to this presentation. There are fabulously painted murals that rotate and move on the stage. The focal point is the city of London, snowy streets, icicles hanging from pub windows and other details that lend to the Victorian England timeline.
They were designed and painted by graphic designer Judy Stoltzfus, with architectural help from Steve Pruitt, and painting by Norman Clark.
"Having these murals painted—I'm just so excited about that," Wygle said. "It brings the performing arts and visual arts together."
Time is limited on this show, but the feel-good sensibility inherent in "A Christmas Carol" is not.
'A Christmas Carol'
By Charles Dickens, lyrics Mark Waldrop, music by Dick Gallagher.
- Directed by Kathy Wygle, costumes by Winkie McCray, scenic design by Judy Stoltzfus and Steve Pruitt, musical direction by Patty Parsons. Musicians Bell Tewson, Patty Parsons, Brad Hershey.
- Presented by Laughing Stock Theatre Company and nexStage Theatre.
- Wednesday, Dec. 20, through Saturday Dec. 23. 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 23 and 24, 2 p.m. matinees
- Tickets: reserved $30 adults, $20 children. General seating $20, $10.
- Cast: Scott Creighton (Scrooge), Sara Gorby (Mrs. Cratchit), Keith Moore (Bob Cratchit), David Blampied (Fezziwig), Jamey Reynolds (Marley), Patsy Wygle (Mrs. Dilber), Tara Burchmore (Tiny Tim).
Keith Moore (Cratchit) gets an earful from his boss, Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott Creighton).
Photo by David N. Seelig
