The Christmas tree in Palmer Square is glowing, people at late meal are humming "Deck the Halls" as they decide which variety of sushi to get and your roommates keep adding different colors of Christmas lights to your gothic window. But if you're buried deep in Firestone, too focused on getting your next "A" to take part in the holiday cheer, then Ebenezer, it looks like you could use a few lessons from Mr. Scrooge. And you're in luck, because if there's any production of Charles Dickens' timeless A Christmas Carol that will win over your heart, it is the annual show now running at McCarter Theatre until Dec. 24.
The Tony-award-winning regional theatre has been producing the holiday classic for years to critical acclaim, and this year's performance, adapted by David Thompson and directed by Michael Unger, is certainly worthy of praise. Producing a classic as well-known and cliche-prone as "A Christmas Carol" while still providing the audience with an engaging and fresh experience is certainly difficult, but Unger and a talented and energetic cast pull it off beautifully, relying on sensory details that include a breathtaking set and special effects.
The journey into Dickens' Victorian London begins even before the curtain opens; a child's voice with a sugary English accent welcomes everyone over the intercom and reminds the audience to turn off their cell phones. The house lights dim and the stage reveals a bare Christmas tree spotlighted against the gray and forlorn background of a London street, which quickly fills with fake snow, colorful costumes and dancing children.
The audience is promptly drawn into the famous story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy and coldhearted businessman who scorns Christmas and refuses all thought of charity. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, who warns Scrooge to change his ways or suffer chains in the afterlife. Scrooge's subsequent encounters with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future lead to his change of heart.
This year's Scrooge is played by Paul Benedict, a veteran of Broadway, film, and television. Benedict's portrayal of the greedy old man is vibrant but not overdone; he delivers Scrooge's famous "Bah, humbug!" a couple of different ways throughout the show, keeping it fresh, and his performance is delicately tinted with irony, dropping lines like "My generosity is my weakness" with subtle sarcasm.
Scrooge's impoverished employee, Bob Cratchit, is played by another theater, film and television professional, Joseph Collins. Though his enthusiasm and lively cockney accent may be slightly overplayed, Cratchit's love for his family comes out strongly in Collins' moving displays of affection.
Local children appear throughout the performance and may be the most moving actors. Cratchit's son, Tiny Tim, is especially touching, with his heartfelt "God bless us, every one" provoking coos from the audience. Many audience members were related to actors in the young ensemble, and it appears that taking part in this annual production is a tradition for some: one man remarked that this was his daughters' fifth Christmas Carol at McCarter.
As moving and effective as the acting is, the real star of the show is the stage itself. Designed by Ming Cho Lee, the set is simply magical. The slanted buildings of Scrooge's office and house, leaning in a dizzying manner suggestive of Scrooge's crooked perception of the world, slide on and off stage from behind background scenery that rises smoothly out of the way.
The most stunning features of the production are the special effects that play off this set. When Jacob Marley's ghost makes his appearance, a scary voice echoes "Ebenezer Scrooooge" from all sides, and the figure magically appears in a turning armchair, bound in chains and surrounded with fog.
The other ghosts' entrances are just as innovative. The three little girls playing the Spirits of Christmas Past seem to materialize above Scrooge's bed, while the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, represented by a giant shrouded figure three times the height and 10 times the width of a normal man, glides on stage, barely visible in the dim light.
The best effect of all occurs during the Ghost of Christmas Present's entrance at the opening of Act II. Scrooge, who is suspended in the air by barely visible cables, floats onto the stage. Christmas Present, dressed in a very sparkly red dress, waves her wand, which emits glitter that causes Scrooge to levitate again.
All in all, "A Christmas Carol" is a spectacle, complete with intricately choreographed dances at Christmas parties, beautiful singing from small children playing carolers and costumes that bring each detail to life, down to the elaborate patterns on Scrooge's old boss Fezziwig's frockcoat.
McCarter Theatre's additional promotions only enhance the performance. This Thursday, the theatre is hosting a Fezziwig Party, complete with hors d'oeuvres and an a cappella performance by the Tigertones. In addition, McCarter has struck a deal with several restaurants in town giving theatergoers a 10 percent discount on dinner if they present their ticket for "A Christmas Carol." So get ready for an evening at McCarter to get yourself into the Christmas spirit. "A Christmas Carol" will make you laugh, will probably make you cry and will most certainly fill you with that warm, fuzzy holiday glow.
Pros: Stunning set, avoids cliches, cute children.
Cons: Some contrived English accents.
5 paw prints
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