The Goodman Theatre’s 2024 edition of “A Christmas Carol” is appealing on multiple levels.
First is the appeal of its physical world – we are dropped into an exquisitely detailed snow globe
of Victorian London. Gentle piles of snow gather along the footlights, flights are made across an
immense and starry night sky, elaborately wrought ironwork decorates gates and door knockers.
The gothic grandeur of damask wallpaper curtains and gowns glow in warm firelight. The merry
sound of street musicians and carolers fill the streets. And the ominous sounds of rattling
chains and chiming church bells echo in Scrooge’s bedchamber.
These sensory delights make the show a holiday treat for patrons of all ages. At the matinee I
attended, children, parents and grandparents dressed in their holiday best were clearly enjoying
themselves, despite the story’s scary and sad moments.
Another level on which the play succeeds is the way director Jessica Thebus finds fresh and
relevant lines in Dickens’ 190-year-old prose. Key passages are emphasized by the character of
a poor Victorian mother (the radiant Kate Fry making her Christmas Carol debut) who narrates
portions of the story for her children. Near the top of the play, she breaks the fourth wall and
asks the audience to recite back how dead Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley was. As
dead as a doornail we respond. “If you don’t know this and believe it – no good can come of the
story,” she says.
Will we modern-day cynics, disinclined to believe in ghosts – be a lost cause? Will Old
Scrooge?
On the essential level of Scrooge’s transformation, the play triumphs. Christopher Donahue
makes his debut as the scowling, cold-hearted bean counter Ebeneezer Scrooge and I’ve never
heard a more convincing “Bah, humbug!” than his drawn-out snarl. Also, making his Christmas
Carol debut is the talented Anthony Irons as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s poor clerk and good-
hearted foil.
Rooting for Scrooge’s redemption is his steadfast niece Frida (Dee Dee Batteast). The
production emphasizes the importance of Scrooge’s closest remaining kin to him when in a
crucial scene from the past, reveals how Scrooge’s sister Fan (played by Tafadzwa Diener) was
the only person to show deep care for him.
Scrooge the schoolchild (played by Henry Lombardo) and Scrooge the young apprentice to
Fezziwig (Daniel Jose Molina) likewise help us feel great empathy for Scrooge.
Thebus makes many creative choices that add emotional depth to the play. For example, the
inclusive staging of Fezziwig’s Christmas dance, is an affirming reminder that when guests of
every culture, ability and language feel welcomed, even the most apprehensive of them will find
their footing and voice.
Another highlight of the production is the innovative use of puppetry in bringing to life the three
Spirits sent to steer Scrooge away from damnation and heal his heart. Each is associated with
an elemental lifeforce: Christmas Past is the Moon (Lucky Stiff) cloven hoofed, airborne and
flanked by a silver fox and deer; Christmas Present is the verdant, holly clad Earth (Bri Sudia in
her Christmas Carol debut) as a sensuous epicurean; and Christmas Future, is the hooded and
hoop-skirted visage Death (Amiera Danan who doubles as Scrooge’s fiancé Belle), encircled by
luna moths, the symbol for transformation.
When Scrooge and The Ghost of Christmas Present observe the Cratchit’s too meagre
Christmas feast, one of the children says, “I’ve had enough.” The Ghost turns to Scrooge and
says, “What a blessing to be able to say that!” The line resonates and begs the question of
whether anyone as wealthy and insulated from suffering as Scrooge can learn to soften their
petrified heart.
Over the course of the night, the visions shown to Scrooge lead to his heartache, and softening,
and sweet reawakening of his soul.
Scrooge’s transformation is a joy to watch. When he realizes he has not missed Christmas day,
he is filled with the wonder of a newborn. He rolls in his bed, kicking his legs and laughing, “I’m
like a baby!” which sends his chambermaid shrieking and running for the hills.
If you don’t leave this production without shedding a tear – perhaps you didn’t heed the Narrator
at the top of the show: If you don’t know Marley was dead as a doornail and believe it –nothing
good can come of this story.
The Goodman Theatre’s 47th annual “A Christmas Carol” runs through November 15 to
December 30 in the Albert Theatre. Tickets and more information are available at
Photo by Liz Lauren
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