Charles Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol, was first published in England on Dec. 19, 1843. Yet its powerful message of the meaning not only of Christmas, but of compassion for one’s fellow human beings, still rings true today.
The origin of this timeless story is also pertinent now, in the face of a horrific economic crisis and its impact on people from all walks of life. Dickens wrote what he called his “little Christmas Book” under financial duress to help pay off a debt. Its success was immediate, selling more than 6,000 copies in a week, and it has become one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories. Several film and television versions, as well as numerous stage versions, have brought Dickens’ Victorian morality tale to the modern masses, and I have seen plenty of them.
I recently saw one more with my British husband and our grandson, presented by the Great American Melodrama as part of its 33rd annual Holiday Extravaganza. The Melodrama cast and crew has kept the story fresh, entertaining, and certainly worth a trip to Oceano. The holiday spirit was infectious the minute we entered the theater, with beautifully lit decor, actors in Victorian attire who greeted and seated us, and, of course, holiday tunes performed by musical director and pianist Jordan Richardson, who also co-authors some of the Melodrama’s vaudeville reviews and shows. For those new to the Great American Melodrama, the actors perform multiple roles on stage��”and serve as wait staff, ushers, and busboys and girls, as well. Not only did they put on one Dickens of a show, they worked hard throughout the evening, during intermissions, and before and after the performance.
A scrumptious bill of fare is offered by the Melodrama’s snack bar, including yummy barbecue beef sandwiches, a filling and healthy chicken salad, terrific chili, popcorn, nachos, and an array of sweets, soft drinks, wine, beer, and margaritas. Put a tip in the jar and you’ll be humorously serenaded by the actors serving up your food and drink.
Actor and emcee Chuck McLane provided pertinent and entertaining information (including house rules) and led the audience in a rousing rendition of “Jingle Bells.” The cast members often move throughout the audience, occasionally involving patrons during the evening.
The Holiday Extravaganza is divided into three parts, the first being A Christmas Carol. Director Erik Stein is to be congratulated for mounting such a smooth, classy production that’s also fun and touching, with wonderful special effects (one gave grandson and the Brit quite a start). Eric Hoit’s tight adaptation follows Dickens’ story with minimal alterations. Musical interludes feature Victorian carols sung by cast members and add to the nostalgia.
The pace moves quickly, as Ebenezer Scrooge transforms from a miserly misanthrope to a kinder, gentler soul who rediscovers his younger, happier self and rejoins the human race filled with compassion and joie de vivre. Actor Billy Breed, as Ebenezer Scrooge, is wonderfully crotchety in his “bah humbug” performance, and lends insight, compassion, and merriment to the old miser as he’s altered by visits from three spirits.
John Keating, as Scrooge’s deceased partner, the ghostly Jacob Marley, gives an ethereal presence to the phantom with remarkable gesture and movement. He also makes you feel truly sorry for old Marley. Katie Worley is superb as the Ghost of Christmas Past, dressed in a Regency Period gown and doubling as Scrooge’s long-lost love, Belle. All of Rene Leatham’s costumes are not only elegant, but authentic, reflecting the Victorian Age of Dickens’ time, and recalling the Regency era that was part of his and, in the story, Scrooge’s youth. Even small details, such as the year 1815 seen on a calendar in Mr. Fezziwig’s workshop, reveal the meticulous attention paid to historical authenticity by Hoit, who also designed the set.
McLane serves up a jolly good performance as the befuddled Fezziwig. Bree Murphy McLane (yes, she’s Mrs. Chuck!) does the same as the merry Mrs. Fezziwig. Chuck’s performance as the Ghost of Christmas Present is memorable for the monumentality he gives this character with booming voice and grand gesture, and for a subtle sense of menace that conveys the spirit’s annoyance with the selfish Ebenezer.
Andrew Beck is a brightly optimistic Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, and he and fellow cast members Corinne Weiben, Richardson, and Worley provide a charming sense of Victorian drawing room patter. Beck is also a frightening presence as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, giving my 7-year-old grandson reason to briefly hold onto my hand.
Stefan Espinosa presents a warm, compassionate Bob Cratchit, his grief palpable in one scene as he mourns the loss of his child, and Eleise Moore is a terrific counterpoint with her pragmatic and, where Scrooge is concerned, acidic depiction of Mrs. Cratchit. The Cratchit children are acted by a super group of youngsters who alternate at each performance. The show we attended featured Mike White as an expressive, sweet-faced Peter; Anna Moiseyeva, charming as Belinda; Rebekah Archambeault offering warm merriment as Martha, and Jordan A. Austin with
a lovely singing voice as Tiny Tim.
Most of the cast members, except Breed and the
children, play multiple roles, and do so brilliantly. Bree McLane and Julia Goretsky are a hoot as peddlers. Goretsky also plays a lovely Fan (Ebenezer’s little sister). Even if A Christmas Carol were the only show of the evening, it would be well worth the price of a ticket. But wait,
there’s more!
A second-act fractured fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk, is a hysterical take on greed, over-consumerism, and big hair, presented as an operetta that blatantly borrows from several well-known arias, classical themes, and popular tunes. It’s a marvelous parody, directed by Hoit with libretto by Richardson “and Many Old Masters,” and is filled with puns, from clever and funny to downright groaners that only add to the hilarity.
If that’s not enough to satisfy, the Holiday Vaudeville Revue is a wonderful cherry on the frosting of the cake of the show, with superb singing and great choreography by Michael Jenkinson. I mean, who can resist seasonal standards that make you feel like you’re in Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, and Virginia Dale, plus the annual holiday performance by the Great American Melodrama Water Glass Orchestra (never to be missed) and a hip-hoppin’ number by the Rappin’ Reindeer (don’t ask, just go!)? And please remember to put a tip in the jar��”these actors most definitely deserve it! m
Ariel Waterman wants her home to look just like Holiday Inn for Christmas. Send decorating tips to her via Arts Editor Shelly Cone at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 4-11, 2008.