The laughter of children fills the corridors and song radiates from every dressing room as actors hum vocal warm ups. Dancers stretch in open doorways and cast members chat over dinner. A step into the rehearsal room finds one surrounded by colorful set blueprints, giant inflatable dreidels, Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands. Christmas has obviously come to McCarter Theatre.
Cheryl Mintz, the stage manager who does doubleand even triple-duty as a pillar of strength and nurse, affectionately tends to the burned hand of one of the actresses. The remaining company members float in, playfully joshing the children, and excitedly reviewing bits of choreography.
If ever there was a time for a Princeton student to indulge in the fabulous resources this Tony-award winning theater offers, it is now.
Yes! It's time for McCarter Theatre's annual production of the classic "A Christmas Carol," opening Monday, Dec. 9th and running through the 29th. The musical, set in the 19th century, tells the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who, through the visits of three ghosts, learns to find joy in the holiday season.
Since the tradition began nearly three decades ago, the show has seen several directors and choreographers, each "remounting" and rebuilding upon the work of their predecessors. There have also been three distinct adaptations, each with its own unique focus on the classic tale. The current production features Michael Unger as director, Rob Ashford (who recently won a Tony for his work on "Thoroughly Modern Millie") as choreographer, and an adaptation written by David Thompson.
Now in its third year, this adaptation — while remaining faithful to the plot — uses the characters such as Jacob Marley (Scrooge's dead business associate) to not only tell the story, but to also emphasize the moral themes. Additionally, Unger has chosen to highlight elements of child labor of the time with snapshots of children working throughout the opening and subtle allusions to child abuse embedded throughout the production.
With a large proportion of the 36-person cast returning year after year, the fresh angles and novel approaches introduced with each passing year are always part of the thrill.
Unger, directing his fifth "Christmas Carol," finds that the new additions to the classic story are what make the job interesting. In fact, not only is the opening entirely re-choreographed and re-blocked every year, but new set pieces are added, new technologies used, and the majority of scenes tweaked in one way or another. Only a single scene remains unaltered from last year's show.
"If you keep your ear to the piece, it tells you what it needs," said Unger of this constant reworking. "A piece is never really finished. It is always possible to search for deeper connections."
The addition of four new company members in this year's production is the catalyst for many changes, as the dynamic of entire scenes can change with the involvement of new actors. This shift propels the returning actors to dig deeper and further explore their own characters.
For instance, John Christopher Jones, returning as Scrooge for the third consecutive year, has played opposite three different Mrs. Dilberts, allowing him to fully delve into the journey of his character.
"If you change the fabric, the texture will change as well," Mintz said of watching these changes year to year.
It was only at the run-through on the Wednesday before the company's two-day Thanksgiving break that the principals and children first met to see just how much this "texture" really has transformed. Both Unger and Mintz expressed their excitement at watching the actors react to each other.
"It is wonderful to see returning company members enchanted with the new ones, and to watch all of the actors laughing and supporting each other. By the final scene, everyone had tears in their eyes," said Mintz.
The experience of putting on "A Christmas Carol" is related to the themes of the play itself —— it is about sharing talent, support and time with others. The local children acting in the show have the world of theater opened to them, much like the children in the audience. Every member of the production team, from the stage designer to the sound engineer, generously dedicates his and her enthusiasm, love, and effort to put up the traditional show. In this spirit, McCarter has been working in conjunction with The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (www.njfoodbank.org), encouraging audience members to donate nonperishable canned food items.
Scrooge truly isn't the only one undergoing a journey — the classic enlightens the company, the production staff, and the audience as well about generosity, love, and the joy that everyone is sure to find with others.
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