By Alun Montgomery
As Christmas rolls around each year, the community's arts groups once more dust off and trot out their seasonal extravaganzas for area audiences. The Alhambra Theater's A Christmas Carole is certainly no exception; the seasonal crowd-pleaser can be counted on to bring in throngs of faithful patrons throughout the holiday season.
The production is a stage adaptation of Charles Dicken's19th-century morality tale about miserly misanthrope Ebenezer Scrooge, whose perceptions of the important things in life get shaken about like a child's snow globe. Crisply and brightly staged and scored, it is played to delight and to tug at the heartstrings of kids of all ages. Judging by the audience response, it was very successful in its objective.
For most people who weren't raised by wolves, the story is a familiar one: curmudgeon Scrooge, the original proto-Grinch, has no time for Christmas or for anyone else who does. A perfect Dickensian archetype, he embodies the evils and attitudes of 19th-century capitalists, to whom the sufferings and pleas of the less fortunate are little more than the whines of sniveling ingrates. His mantra-like rejoinder "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" expresses the depth and breadth of his charitable inclinations. He is equally insensitive to the pleas of charity solicitors and the plight of his faithful clerk Bob Cratchit, who with his struggling family is but one payday away from the poorhouse himself. Very much a Simon Legree grotesque to us today, though in its time was not so uncommon a sentiment.
As he beds down for a long winter's nap (Christmas Eve, to be precise), he is visited by the spirit of his departed friend and business partner, Jacob Marley (energetically interpreted by Peter Uibel), laden with chains and cashboxes, which he bears as atonement for the sins of his life. Marley warns his friend to change his ways before it's too late, and he heralds the impending visit of three ghosts: those of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come (also played by Uibel).
The spirits' visits offer a reminder of the youthful love and optimism that once guided Scrooge's path and the greed that led him astray, as well as a foreboding view of the dire consequences of its unhalted momentum. Brought face to face with the impact of his life on those around him and the empty legacy that awaits, a remorseful Ebenezer is transformed into a kind and generous spirit, resolving to dedicate his efforts and resources to acts of kindness and charity.
The staging is for the most part balanced and uncluttered, and the set pieces very effectively designed to be fluidly converted for creating multiple settings. I suspect the set itself may be a veteran of Christmases Past, judging by the often painted rather than constructed architectural elements. But it is nonetheless effective; and if the company has sentimentally chosen to honor a battle-tested set, I'm perfectly fine with that. We should all receive such respectful handling.
There were initial moments in the show when the performers were a half-beat or so behind the recorded accompaniment and it sounded as if they might not have been able to hear it and each other to fullest advantage. The miking of solo voices was also inconsistent at times. Both problems were minor and seem easy enough to fix.
There were a number of instances when actors directly addressed the members of the audience, either for a little call-and-response action or to interact with the front row. I'm not a real fan of the practice of "breaking the fourth wall", but I have to admit that bringing children down front up on the stage made for several sweet moments.
The production is blessed to have so many strong players. Without exception, everyone with a moment of his or her own takes it and runs with it. Alhamba veteran Tony Triano reprises his role as the heartless Scrooge in a performance that has more than its share of powerful and tender moments. Xander Chauncey's Nephew Fred is especially enjoyable as the play's narrative thread. His opening solo and ongoing commentary help develop and connect the story's interlocking plot lines and characters to great effect. And Paul Betz turns in a restrained performance as Bob Cratchit that effectively underscores the character's nobility and charity in the midst of suffering. Alhambra veterans Henry Brewster and Earlye Rhodes are also very effective in an assortment of supporting roles.
In a production full of strong voices and performances, Michelle Barry's Lizzie stands out as especially memorable. Her solo turn in the funeral scene, He Isn't Gonna Need It, is a real showstopper: commanding, hilarious, balanced, and absolutely riveting.
I wish I could gush as effusively about the direction as for the performances. Many bits are played to the hilt for laughs, testimony to the adage that if a little bit must be good, a whole lot must be a whole lot better. To their credit, the actors commit to the direction and manage to make the moments their own, successfully escaping mawkishness in many instances.
In all fairness, it must be challenging to take a perennial favorite, one that has run every year for the past 25, and find a way to keep it fresh and vibrant. I can't say that shameless, cartoonish muggery is what first pops into my mind as the way to go about it. But Booth and company seem to have hit on a formula that puts fannies in the seats and keeps them there. Not one to waste caviar on the general, he knows what his audiences like and he gives it to them in spades.
To my mind, several judicious forkfuls would have been plenty.
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