A Christmas Carol
Adapted by Tom Creamer
From novel by Charles Dickens
Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn (map)
thru Dec 27 | tix: $25-$102 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
Family-friendly holiday classic
Goodman Theatre presents
A Christmas Carol
Review by Lauren Whalen
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol became a classic for a reason: it’s got a loving message and a thorough character change wrapped up in a deliciously spooky passage. The novel’s been adapted by everyone from VH1 to the Muppets, and stage versions are as plentiful as chestnuts roasting over an open fire at this time of year. Goodman Theatre’s 2015 production of A Christmas Carol is its 38th, and the show’s gone through various incantations (not to mention Scrooges) since its premiere decades ago. This year, it’s a gothic and glittering holiday treat: Henry Wishcamper’s direction doesn’t skimp on the scary or the silly, and veteran Larry Yando delivers a Scrooge that’s multifaceted: funny, curmudgeonly and genuinely complex.
We all know the answer to the above questions, but that doesn’t make this Christmas Carol any less beguiling. In his third year of directing the production, Wishcamper has hit the sweet spot of dark but not too scary, sweet but not saccharine, and funny but respectful to Dickens’ text. Wishcamper never loses sight of the fact that – even with the holiday trimmings – A Christmas Carol is a ghost story. Scrooge’s past mistakes and potential fate grow sadder and more horrific as Act Two progresses, making his transformation all the more rich and rewarding. In addition to inserting brilliant bits of physical comedy and audience asides, Wishcamper also emphasizes the play’s more poignant moments. Bob Cratchit’s love for his family is palpable in his bright smile when he comes through the door of their overcrowded, shabby house. And during nephew Fred’s Christmas party, both Scrooge and Fred take a moment to look at the portrait over the mantel: Fan (the always-lovely Paige Collins), Scrooge’s beloved sister and Fred’s mother, who died in childbirth. It’s these tiny details that elevate Goodman’s A Christmas Carol from cookie-cutter interpretation to something deeper and more heartwrenching, the way Dickens would have liked.
Yando is in a class of his own, in his eighth year as the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge. Whether he’s growling over paperwork or joyfully accepting a small bag of chestnuts, the veteran actor and theater professor doesn’t miss a beat and never squanders an opportunity. Yando is equal parts broad and subtle, physical and emotional. As a performer and a critic, I’ve seen many iterations of Scrooge, but after twice seeing Yando play the role, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else.
Those who fear the past are doomed to repeat it. In today’s near-dystopian political climate, this is an especially important lesson to remember, and no story illustrates the point better than A Christmas Carol. One man is forced to confront the demons of his past and the consequences of his actions, and realizes he has a choice: he can keep on hurting others and isolating himself, or he can give of his own resources (physical and emotional) and become not only truly wealthy, but free. It’s my hope that the message of Goodman’s beautiful production, and the story itself, will reach as many minds and hearts as possible this holiday season. Hopefully, those the world over, no matter what race, color or belief system, can take Dickens’ words to heart and quote Tiny Tim: “God bless us, every one.”
Rating: ★★★½
A Christmas Carol continues through December 27th at Goodman’s Albert Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn (map). Tickets are $25-$102, and are available by phone (312-443-3800) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at GoodmanTheatre.org. (Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, includes an intermission)
Photos by Liz Lauren
artists
cast
Theo Allyn (Miss Ortle, Mrs. Creakle), Justin Amolsch (Musician-French Horn), Kareem Bandealy (Narrator, Young Scrooge), Nathaniel Buescher (Tiny Tim), Andrew Coil (Musician-Violin), Paige Collins (Martha Cratchit, Fan, Young Woman), Phillip Cusic (Peter Cratchit), Lisa Gaye Dixon (Ghost of Christmas Present), Joe Foust (Jacob Marley, Old Joe), Allen Gilmore (Alternate Scrooge), Anish Jethmalani (Fred), Travis A. Knight (Ghost of Christmas Past), Aaron Lamm (Boy Scrooge), J. Salome Martinez (Dick Wilkins, Pie Seller, Future), Larry Neumann Jr. (Schoolmaster, Percy, Undertaker), Ron E. Rains (Bob Cratchit), Malcolm Ruhl (Musician-Accordion), Madeline Ruhl (Musician-Flute), Amaris Sanchez (Emily Cratchit), Kim Schultz (Mrs. Fezziwig, Charwoman), Skye Sparks (Belinda Cratchit), Bret Tuomi (Mr. Fezziwig), Kristina Valada-Viars (Abby, Belle), Penelope Walker (Mrs. Cratchit), Larry Yando (Ebenezer Scrooge)
behind the scenes
Henry Wishcamper (director), Alden Vasquez (production stage manager), ZFX Inc. (flying effects), Todd Rosenthal (set design), Heidi Sue McMath (costume design), Andrew Hansen (composer), Richard Woodbury (sound design), Keith Parham (lighting design), Malcolm Ruhl (music director), Tommy Rapley (choreographer), Adam Belcuore, Erica Sartini Combs (casting), Liz Lauren (photos)
15-1150
