THEATRE REVIEW: "A Christmas Carol" ... the musical and the play.

     

     In December of 1996, my mom, dad, sister, and I saw a musical version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  I'm not sure if this venue is still there.  There is a Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden, but the photos of that venue look more like an arena.  I think there was a separate entrance to the theatre, because i dont remember seeing sports fans among the theatre goers.  This production featured music by Alan Menken; lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; and a book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens.  Susan Stroman was the choreographer, and Tony Walton was the scenic designer.

    The cast of the production featured Tony Randall (Scrooge), Ben Vereen (Ghost of Christmas Present / Sandwich-board man), Nick Corley (Cratchit), Pierce Cravens (Tiny Tim), Paul Kandel (Ghost of Jacob Marley), Ken Jennings (Ghost of Christmas Past), and Valentina Kozlova (Ghost of Christmas Future).  This production ran from November 22nd, 1996 through January 5th, 1997.   I remember while we were in the city, we stayed at the Leo House, which was a hotel run by nuns--at least back then it was.  It is still around, located on West 23rd Street.  As for the play, I remember Scrooge's tombstone towards the end of the show was "larger than life" to put it mildly.  I also remember the song "Link by Link" which was sung by Jacob Marley and other chain-bearing ghosts.  I wish I could remember Ben Vereen's performance more.  Apparently the show was 90 minutes long without an intermission.  After the show, I kept singing lines from the song "Link by link."

Tony Randall as Scrooge 

     Back then, my grandma didn't live in the city yet, which was why we stayed at the Leo House.  Within a short while, granny would move, as would we.  But my mom, dad, sister, and I would be moving back to Chicago from Georgia, where we lived for a year and a half.  So, besides most of us not feeling well during that Christmas break, there was much to be excited about.  I would later find out that geographical changes don't solve life's problems, but wasn't expected to know that as a child.  I'm not sure at what age I was suddenly expected to have learned all of life's lessons.  Oh well... "liiiink byyy liiiink..."  

     Besides those listed above, the cast also included James Judy, Joan Barber, Ray Friedeck, Joy Hermalyn, Michael X. Martin, Michael Moore, Emily Skinner, Greg Zerkle, Matthew Ballinger, Ken Barnett, Robin Baxter, Jennifer Blain, Jason Fuchs, Matthew Hoffman, Cara Horner, Michael H. Ingram, Carrie Kenneally, Keith Byron Kirk, Seth Malkin, Don Mayo, Corrine Melancon, Evan Jay Newman, Christopher Mark Petrizzo, Evan Silverberg, and Whitney Webster.  There were a lot more cast members, but I'm not one to name names.  

Ben Vareen as the Ghost of Christmas Present 

     This was the third annual season that "A Christmas Carol" was presented at The Theater at Madison Square Garden (the venue which had once been known as The Paramount).  Apparently fake snow would fall on the audience during parts of the show, and fell in large clumps atop various audience members during previous seasons when the musical was running.  I don't think we experienced that problem when we saw the show.  If it had, I'm sure we would have laughed it off.  Apparently the fake snow was made of paper.  

______________

     In December of 2014, my aunt and I saw Goodman Theatre's annual production of "A Christmas Carol" at Goodman Theatre's Albert Theatre in Chicago, IL.  Goodman Theatre puts on the show every year, with small differences to the production here and there.  The year my aunt and I saw it, Charles Dickens' story was adapted by Tom Creamer, and was directed by Henry Wishcamper.  

     The 2014 production, which ran from November 15th through December 28th, starred Larry Yando as Ebenezer Scrooge.  The cast also included Joe Foust (Jacob Marley, Old Joe), Patrick Andrews (Ghost of Christmas Past), Kareem Bandealy (Young Scrooge), Lisa Gaye Dixon (Ghost of Christmas Present), Bret Tuomi (Mr. Fezziwig), Ron E. Rains (Bob Cratchit), and Penelope Walker (Mrs. Cratchit).  The scenic designer for this production was Todd Rosenthal.  

Larry Yando as Scrooge and Patrick Andrews as the Ghost of Christmas Past 

     My favorite scenes in this play involved the Ghost of Future Christmases... or The Ghost of Christmases Yet To Come... or The Ghost of Trespasses Yet to be Forgiven... ah, who the Hell knows?   Anyway,  they made that character terrifying.  Then again, the first appearance of Jacob Marley was frightening too.  Yet this is a show I would see again.  I was kidding by pretending I don't know the story well.  I grew up watching "A Christmas Carol" starring Alistair Sim (a character actor, don't you know?).

 

     This was a lavish production, but nowhere near as lavish as the musical version of "A Christmas Carol" I saw in 1996.  That is understandable though.  The 90's was the decade of stunners and megamusicals.  I enjoyed watching both versions of "A Christmas Carol."  I don't remember if the musical version had a narrator like the play version did.  If there was a narrator in both versions, then... uh... I don't know.  I guess I have no point to make.  Good tidings and such.

Lisa Gaye Dixon as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Larry Yando as Scrooge