Watch a video of the intermission hijinx at The Great American Melodrama.
The Great American Melodrama in Oceano buzzed with excitement as the packed house waited for the Holiday Extravaganza to begin. The actors who were seating the theater patrons and serving up confections in the bar line were favorite faces of the Melodrama, but many were young faces new to the theater, lending some extra talent to the holiday show.
The Holiday Extravaganza is a three-part night of live theater. Usually the melodrama provides a two-act play with a vaudeville review at the end, but for the holiday season the company ups the variety with act one consisting of a performance of the classic Charles Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol, followed by another one-act musical, and of course the quintessential vaudeville review. The extra talent was necessary to make the magic of A Christmas Carol sparkle into life, including the talented youngsters who make up a good part of the story.
A young street urchin introduces us to the icon of angry, stingy old men, Ebenezer Scrooge (Billy Breed). The ornery moneylender finds no joy except in pinching every coin he can get his hands on. His over-worked and underpaid employee, Bob Cratchit (DJ Canaday), is loyal, but knows better than to wish his employer a “Merry Christmas;” something Scrooge’s nephew Fred (Alex Sheets) will do no matter the severity of the tongue lashing he receives from his angry uncle.
Scrooge is visited by the spirit of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Kyle Smith), who appears as a ghastly specter clad in chains. Marley’s entrance is a spectacle unto itself, thanks to the special effects department at the Melodrama. Smoke machines, lighting, and special mechanisms make for a magical experience, especially when the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and yet to come start appearing on the hour, taking Scrooge on a journey exploring his life and outlook.
The production of A Christmas Carol is a tradition at the Melodrama, and local actor Billy Breed has been the theater’s Scrooge for many years now. Many may recognize Breed from countless past productions at the Melodrama and PCPA Theaterfest. His portrayal of Scrooge is obviously steeped in experience of the role. The iciness with which he delivers Scrooge’s contemptuous lines is remarkable, and it makes his transformation throughout the show so much more poignant and meaningful.
Breed’s performance will leave you laughing one moment and tearing up the next, and he is aided by the flurry of Melodrama actors young and old who help create the magical journey through time. Kyle Smith, fresh from performing as the ghostly Marley, also plays the part of young Scrooge, showing how a once hopeful and tender young man became so cold. Resident actors like Canaday and Sarah Smith play the progenitors of the Cratchit family, guiding the young actors who play their offspring, including the incurably cute Tiny Tim (Presley Reed and Liam Wittlieb).
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With many a heartfelt moment, but not devoid of comedy, A Christmas Carol comes to an end, and the crowd gets its first break. But intermission isn’t a break for the Melodrama actors, who are serving up food in the theater’s bar line. Complete with their own special code and satirical songs for tippers, the cast members serve up fresh food and drink that remind theatergoers why the line is always long.
Once back on stage, the resident cast of the Melodrama takes the reins with a wonderful fairytale farce, Rapunzel or Hairy Today, Gone Tomorrow. The show gets an unorthodox introduction, as fairytale lawyer Paul Mitchell (Jim Goza) takes the stage to read off a legal disclaimer. Rather than read out the contract, Goza sings it, as the show is actually an opera, mashing together some of the finest arias in Western musical history with hilariously satirical lyrics.
The one-act play is tangled with hair humor and delightful Meta humor. Goza’s lawyer character will storm any scene to disrupt the action and remind the characters of their legal obligations, whether it’s Goldilock’s case of breaking and entering against the Three Bears, or Rapunzel’s parents’ poor choice to raid the garden of a witch.
The night ends with the Holiday Vaudeville Review, a specialty of The Great American Melodrama. The vaudevilles are when all of the talents of the actors come into play, including acting, singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Many of the actors are talented musicians, which keeps the end of the show especially entertaining and, with the holiday theme, wonderfully heartwarming.
Arts Editor Joe Payne is no Scrooge. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
VIDEO BY NEW TIMES AND SANTA MARIA SUN VIDEO VIA YOUTUBE.COM
This article appears in Dec 12-19, 2013.