Holiday Tradition Comes to Life: A Christmas Carol at Theater Works
Aidan (Tiny Tim), Seamus (Child Scrooge) and Nathan (Sam Cratchit) enjoy a moment on stage before dress rehearsal begins.
Around the world, holiday traditions vary from exchanging seedlings to cookie baking to caroling. One Christmas tradition that harkens childhood memories for many people in the United States and the United Kingdom is the story of Scrooge, a miserly old man who has lost the spirit of generosity that makes the Christmas season so loving. This year Travel With Kids hosts Nathan and Seamus are lucky enough to be a part of the team that makes Theater Works’ A Christmas Carol such a dazzling display of holiday joy.
However, that dazzle doesn’t just happen with a blink of the eyes or a wiggle of the nose, no such magic makes it so easy. No…just as the main character puts in hour upon hour at the office, the cast and crew of A Christmas Carol put in hours of rehearsal and set building and sewing…the list goes on. According to Nathan, who plays Sam Cratchit, “We may work hard, but its fun work.”
The sparkle of stage lights – even holiday lights – sometimes blinds us – as Scrooge was blinded to the spirit of Christmas – to the hard work required to make theatre come to life. While actors make it look simple as they dash across stage, many man hours – or kids hours in the case of Nathan and Seamus – go into perfectly executing those movements. Merry songs flowing the script along take lots of practice to perfect. Add to this the ambiance, and hard work by many hands, provided by lighting, sets, costumes, make-up and special effects and you truly understand the nature of dedication of the cast and crew of Theater Works’ A Christmas Carol. And you get a sense of the spirit of giving that Scrooge manages to find after one fitful night with three ghosts.
Seamus playing Young Ebenezer Scrooge at school
Directed by Chris Hamby, the show features lovable characters, drama followed by laughter, festivities and song. Take a ride through Scrooge’s anguish as he relives his past, opens his eyes to his present and fears his future. Through the use of projection technology the audience travels with him on a journey to change his life; a journey which will warm up your holiday season. As director, Hamby handles the array of questions fired at him without a flinch…where’s my mark, what angle do you want the bed, how much fog, do you like the way I delivered that line? It comes from all departments and he faces each one without even raising an eyebrow.
Goodenberger applies Marley’s eerie make-up
Hamby’s use of technology adds some new spice to a traditional tale. Think a glowing apparition floating on stage, huge moving projections, a towering skeletal ghost of Christmas future. Add to that Hair and Make-Up Designer Brenda Goodenberger’s otherworldly Marley with his glowing purple face and you have a twist that gets theatre goers talking. And Hamby is not the only one who appreciates the experimental side of theatre. Seamus, who is playing Ebenezer Scrooge as a child, says, “I like to be in plays because I get to be a different character and I get to make that character unique.”
Festive music directed by Steve Hilderbrand gets theatre goers in the holiday mood with eloquent harmonizations on such carols as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. Although the songs are few in this adaptation of A Christmas Carol, they are potent. An urchin’s rendition of Silent Night brings chills to the spine.
Last minute adjustments to Nathan’s costume
Round that out with excellent period costumes and set pieces and you are ready to put on a play. The teamwork required is not noticeable as the actors smoothly transition from scene to scene brining the audience from tears to laughter. But just as the big holiday feast in the final scene requires the work of the boy to fetch the turkey and Scrooge’s nephew and his wife to cook the turkey and the Cratchit family to add the joy, A Christmas Carol is the love child of many hard working people. But the end result is holiday dazzle at its best.
A Christmas Carol runs from December 7 to December 22 at Theater Works in Peoria, AZ. Visit www.theaterworks.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
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