White Christmas Charms at DalekoArts in New Prague

Located about 45 minutes south of the cities is the sleepy little town of New Prague. One of the last things you expect to find there is a high quality professional theatre company. But, that’s exactly what you’ll find for it’s the home of DalekoArts, which has delighted me with every show I’ve seen. This Holiday season they are presenting Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and once again I can say without reservation it’s worth the drive. DalekoArts has brought the classic film to life in a show that bustles with energy and style. It’s corny in all the best ways, filled with Berlin’s great songs and has just about the most endearing child performance since Ronny Howard says the “Wells Fargo Wagon is a comin!” in the film of The Music Man.

For those who are unfamiliar with the 1954 film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, here are the basics. The show opens on Christmas 1944, Captain Bob Wallace and Private Phil Davis are putting on a show for their fellow troops under the command of General Henry Waverly. You can tell the General cares for his men and they would follow him anywhere. With that history established we flashforward 10 years; Bob and Phil have stuck together and now are famous performers. After an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show they’re about to catch a train to Florida to began rehearsing a new show. On the way to the train station they stop off at a nightclub to catch a singing sister act that they might have space for in their show. Phil and Judy hit it off right away, Bob and Betty not so much. But Phil and Judy decide to trick Bob into going to Vermont where the girls are headed to perform over Christmas at an Inn. Once there, they discover the Inn has lost most of its bookings because despite being almost Christmas the weather is in the 70’s and so all the skiers and winter vacationers pick up and head to cooler locations. When they’re about to leave they discover that their old commanding officer owns the Inn and they decide to stay on and with the help of the General’s mangeress Martha, and his eight year old Granddaughter Susan, mount a show that they will invite their old army comrades to. Love, laughs, and song ensue, complicated by a healthy dose of misunderstandings.

Playing Bob is DalekoArts co-founder Ben Thietje who has the look and sound of a classic film musical star from the golden age of film, he reminds me a bit of Dick Powell. He’s very at ease on stage and has a great singing voice. Audrey Johnson plays Betty, who also looks right at home in the era, I see a little Barbara Stanwyck in her. These two should team up next season for a noir influenced crime thriller. The whole cast is just great whether singing, dancing or just acting. There are a couple of performers I want to make note of though. Eve Scharback as Susan the Generals eight year old granddaughter is just delightful, she doesn’t seem to have a self conscious bone in her body and feels totally natural onstage, and she’s a really good singer too, audiences are going to just eat her up. Honestly, one of the main reasons I drove to Daleko in the winter over the busiest few weeks of the fall theatre season was to see a favorite performer Shanan Custer, I’ve been enjoying her performances with the Mysterious Old radio Listening Society for years and just loved her in Finger Lickin Good at MN Fringe Festival this last summer. Of course she doesn’t disappoint here either, she’s the perfect harried Innkeeper who has to try and keep the bad news from the General as much as she can. We also get to hear her sing which is a really fun song that she pulls of with ease. As an added bonus there were a couple of voice over cameos by Eric Webster and Lauren Anderson that made me smile.

The Music Direction by Christopher J. Stordalen and the five piece band that bring the songs to life sounds like a larger ensemble, you don’t want for anything more musically, it’s a very tight sounding group. The show is directed by the other founder of DalekoArts Amanda White who really pulled off this adaptation as it had the feel of those old song and dance let’s put on a show films. Scenic Design/Carpenter/Painter Robin McIntyre makes wonderful use projection and wooden boxes of different sizes to pull off the 12 unique locations throughout the musical. It’s one of those shows where that kind of set design feels just right.

White Christmas runs through December 18th at DalekoArts in New Prague MN for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.dalekoarts.com/season-11

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The Mysterious Affair at Styles is Positively the Best Agatha Christie I’ve Seen Yet At Theatre in the Round Players

Graphic Designed by **Larisa Netterlund**

Not only is this the Best Agatha Christie adaptation I’ve seen at Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) it’s also among their best productions period. There are two Twin Cities theater events that announce the holiday season is upon us, A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie and TRP’s annual Agatha Christie based play. It’s been an annual tradition in my family since well before my reviewing days to attend these for my Mother’s Birthday present, as we are both big Christie fans. This production does Christie’s first novel and the first appearance of her famous Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot justice. The Mysterious Affair at Styles has the best cast TRP has gathered since Red Herrings as well as being it’s most accomplished in several technical areas as well. This World Premiere adaptation by Kate Danley is the perfect little whodunnit and sure to please mystery fans.

The story is told in the first person by Lt. Arthur Hastings and takes place during the first World War. Hasting having been injured in the war has been sent home to recover. He has been invited by his boyhood friend John Cavendish to stay at Styles Court, the estate of his step-mother and late fathers wife Emily who has recently re-married. Her new husband is Alfred Inglethorp whom no one in the entire household likes aside from Emily. Among the household are John’s wife Mary, his younger brother Lawrence, Cynthia Murdock, a young woman who came to live with Emily after the death of her parents and works at the local hospitals Dispensary, Emily’s nurse Evelyn, and the maid Dorcas. On the periphery of the household, there is also Dr. Bauerstein an expert on toxicology at the hospital where Cynthia works. When Emily is found murdered by Strychnine Hastings old friend and war refugee who is being housed nearby, Hercule Poirot is called in to assist with finding the murderer. Working with Inspector Japp and with Hastings assistance, Poirot must discover who has done this crime and how.

There is not a weak link in the cast, which isn’t always the case with community Theatre. Standouts include Jake Leif as Hastings, whose skillful delivery includes stepping in and out of first person narration during the scene without ever confusing the audience. It’s in these moments that much of the humor of the piece comes out. Ben Tallen’s performance as Poirot is excellent but it does contain the productions one disappointment, his Poirot has a beard rather than the finest mustache in Britain. Whether it’s the actors unwillingness to shave or a misguided directorial choice, a regrettable decision as it is one of the characters trademark characteristics. But that is a surface issue and aside from that he is brilliant, funny, warm and in all other ways the Poirot we know and love. Todd Hansen plays Japp as a down to earth Inspector that reminds us pleasantly of Philip Jacksons Portrayal of the character on the Poirot TV series. All three of these performances are of the highest quality, their stage presence and characterizations are compelling. A side note on Patti Gage as the maid Dorcas, it’s a small role with very few lines, but it’s an audience favorite. Gage makes you wish there were a bigger role for her character as she adds some wonderful line readings and humor to the production.

Kate Danley’s script is perfectly paced and easy to follow and yet the answer eludes us until Poirot gathers all the players together to reveal the solution. Linda S. Paulsen directs and I was impressed with the staging as well as the transitions between scenes. She’s cast the show perfectly and found the right balance of humor, romance and mystery. I was also greatly impressed with the Sound Design by Kristin Smith and Lighting Design by Mark Kieffer. There was a scene where we transitioned from day to evening and the way the lighting changed and the subtle sounds of nature changed, for a moment I immediately thought of a dissolve in a film to show the same scene after a passage of time. There were numerous subtle moments like that that raised this to another level, Paulsen’s effective use of music throughout also gave this production a polished feel. There was a subtlety to all of these elements that really highlights Paulsens skill in combining all of the production elements into a smoothly flowing narrative.

A wonderful cast supported by a strong script and effective work from every department make for one of the theatrical highlights of the season. For more information on The Mysterious Affair at Styles and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/current_season/

Holidate a Light But Soulful Musical at Yellow Tree Theatre

Yellow Tree Theatre presents Holidate a new addition to their holiday season shows this one written by newish Artistic Director Austene Van. A short, around 70 minute production, that has a wafer thin story upon which to hang a series of Christmas songs both familiar, though often with a twist, and some not so familiar. If you enjoy some broad jokes and humor along with dynomite vocal performances you’ll find yourself smiling and maybe even singing along. I found it enjoyable and lightweight, perhaps not as memorable as other holiday shows I’ve taken in so far, but it’s goal is really to give us some smoking hot renditions of songs with a little story thrown in. It sort of has the feel of a lounge act with really good singing, and I think that’s a nice change up. It’s adding a new option for folks in the holiday season.

The story is simple:

Early evening on a beautiful wintery day, Taylor and Michael are in a hairy hurry to buy holiday presents for all of their friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances…& pets. Finally, they stop before they drop their overstuffed shopping bags to take a load off & rest a bit on a bus stop bench on Nicollet Mall. The stress of the season makes them question almost everything about themselves, their families, traditions, their relationship and their future together. Taylor is hoping one little question will be asked and answered to make her season merry & bright. Will she receive her heart’s desire this Christmas? This holiday musical rocks the bells and decks the halls with joy and laughter!
Yellow Tree Theatre Website

Jennifer Grimm plays Taylor and Julius Collins is Michael with Jason Ballweber as a street performer who acts as fake musical accompaniment and comic relief. Grimm and Collins have wonderful voices and add so much soul and style to everyone one of the songs, it would have been just as enjoyable, maybe more so if they were just performing the songs. I wish the program listed the songs used, there were several I was unfamiliar with, but I enjoyed every one. Grimm can belt out the songs or make them sultry as hell, and then in the next breathe knock you out with her breathy rendition Santa Baby. Collins’ thick rich voice is like velvet and his take on James Brown is fantastic and gives the audience a big laugh as well. Their interactions with Ballweber lend a lot of laughs as well; he’s so adroit and the little one liners…but gets as many laughs from his non verbal moments.

You want to come to this for the music and some quick laughs, the plot about traditions, families, and ‘will he’ or ‘won’t he’ propose sounds great, but it really doesn’t work very well. It feels too often like the plot is treading water. Van has the right idea with these themes, but it really doesn’t flow or make much logical sense. For instance, Michael and Taylor have been together for three years, their families live in the same area, but I’m fairly certain there was dialogue that stated Taylor has never met his mother. They are excited but a little nervous that this is the first year they are going to spend time with each others families over Christmas, but it’s midway through the show when they realize that they are supposed to be at each families house at about the same time. That could be an interesting obstacle if it was presented right, but there’s no explanation of someone mishearing something or anything to explain the fact they are double booked. I think from what’s presented, these fully grown adults who have been together for three years simply assumed they could magically spend all day with her family and then… what? Rewind the clock and spend it with his? The explanation for this lack of any planning seems to be that they both thought there were two December 25th’s? The show is directed by Marci Lucht, she does a great job of staging all of the comedic moments particularly with the Street performer. She makes good use of the small space and the set designed by Justin Hooper which gives them multiple layers to play upon. It’s the moments between songs and jokes that seems like the characters are just moving around to distract from the fact that what they have to say isn’t that engaging. I’d love to see this again in coming years with this same cast, they are the right people with the right voices, I think the script could be improved upon by the insertion of some logical reasons for the plot points, maybe what it needs is another 20 minutes to flesh out the ideas it touches on, and I sure wouldn’t mind another song or two by this terrific vocal duo.

Holidate runs through December 30th at Yellow Tree Theatre the songs alone are worth checking it out. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/holidate

Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at Jungle Theater in Uptown is Another Outstanding Production

Christmas at Pemberley, I know what you’re thinking, “I already read this review” But no, no you haven’t. That my dear friends was Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, this is Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley. There is incidentally also The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, which I have not seen but now am quite desperate to do so. The three plays are a trilogy of sequels to Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride & Prejudice written by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon. Having see the first, Miss Bennet…, and now the third, Georgiana & Kitty… I can assure you that you will not be lost if you cannot see them in order. Though I would urge you to avail yourself of the opportunity to see both of these plays this season and if possible in order Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is running through December 18th at Lyric Arts in Anoka you can read that review here https://bit.ly/3UYYHS8. Let us now turn our attention in full to the Christmas at Pemberley at the Jungle Theater, the one that concerns Georgiana & Kitty. This is billed as a rolling world premiere, which a google search informs me is a process in which the playwright is closely involved with the stageing of a play and collaborates with different theater companies to continue to work on the play over multiple productions in different cities. Which means we are among the first to see this final chapter in the story of the Bennet girls and the men they love.

Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon once again capture the spirit of Jane Austen’s inspiring source material and create a play that feels like an organic progression for all of the characters. This story focuses on Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, and Kitty Bennet, Lizzy Darcy’s youngest sister. It’s their turn to find and possibly lose love. The two girls have become the best of friends and spend much of their time together. For Georgiana, love comes in the person of Henry Grey whom she has only met once after a Piano recital but has been corresponding with via letters for almost a year, has invited him to visit on Christmas. They both have fallen in love with each other through their letters and a shared passion for music. When they finally meet again at Pemberley, they are both so shy it will require their friends and family to get them to come out and tell each other how they feel. Accompanying Henry is his friend Thomas O’Brien who is instantly smitten with Kitty. So now we have the two pairs of lovers and in true Austen form, there will be letters that reveal secrets, arranged engagements, and meddlesome siblings. Not the least of which is Mr. Darcy who by the end of Act I will have seemingly torpedoed the match between Henry and Georgiana. Act II takes place about six years later, I mention this because the playbill doesn’t, and it should.

Just Like Lyric Arts this is a production without a weak link in the cast. Everyone makes the most of their lines, but it is equally in the nonverbal and reactions that stand out with this cast. Marisa B. Tejeda and Becca Hart play Georgiana and Kitty and both are excellent, each making the growth of their characters in the six years (which pass surprisingly fast during the intermission) feel organic and true to the characters. Their love interests are both new characters and as such don’t come with any preconceived notions of who they are. Dustin Bronson as Henry Grey is hilarious but also extremely romantic and dashing. He plays excruciatingly shy so over the top it should take us out of the scene yet somehow it draws us deeper in and we immediately identify with and empathize with him. I would say of all the actor character pairings in the show, the Bronson Grey casting is the absolute height of perfection. Tom Reed as Thomas O’Brien seems incapable of a bad line reading. His character tends towards the comicical which plays to Reed’s strengths, but he is just as adept in the more serious moments. I also have to acknowledge the best Lydia portrayal I’ve yet seen in any medium, Adelin Phelps makes the generally intolerable Bennet Sister bearable with her brilliant comedic timing. She has a scene where she is bored and as she wanders around the room her behavior had me in stitches.

Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley is co-directed by Christina Baldwin & Angela Timberman in what must have been a very harmonious collaboration because I cannot imagine a better staging of this play. Every aspect seems to work together perfectly more than most shows, great attention was paid to the moments between lines, the inventive business given to characters that kept the audience engaged and jovial. Sarah Bahr designed the set and costumes. The set in Act I was a little on the underwhelming side, with painted bookcases and the like, but once Act II began it became apparent that it was done out of necessity as the complete stage is transformed during intermission. The costumes looked great in Act I but they began to wear out their welcome by Act II, perhaps it was those intervening six years wear and tear. Perhaps they changed but it seemed the characters were for the most part wearing the same clothes six years later as they were when the play opened. Perhaps this also was done out of necessity, they were honestly great looking costumes perhaps the budget didn’t run to two sets of high quality gowns and gentlemens period wear. In these tight times I think that can be accepted as a prudent decision. Or perhaps they were different and the color schemes were just too similar for someone like me, not the best at noticing clothes or jewelry, to pick up on.

I cannot qualify my praise for this production for my esteem knows no bounds. This play, this production, this cast is what I really wanted for Christmas and didn’t know it until I was overcome by it’s towering joyfulness. It speaks to the longing in all of us for a happy ending, for a loving family and a romantic love story. It’s a beautiful tale but also a testament to the intelligence and power or women, a reminder for today from a time when they had so few options in their society. A reminder of all that has been accomplished in gender equality but also a light on the work that still needs to be done. But those are after thoughts, the messages that come through in those regards simply add to the beauty of the piece rather than a tacked on “message.” Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley runs through December 23rd at Jungle Theater in Uptown Minneapolis, If you haven’t bought your tickets yet it’s probably because you were waiting for a link to do so, here is said link https://www.jungletheater.org/georgiana-kitty-christmas-at-pemberley, so click on it and get your tickets while you can. If this show doesn’t sell out most of its performances there is more wrong with the world than we thought.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley Receives a Brilliant Staging at Lyric Arts in Anoka

Photo by Molly Weibel, 1000 Words Photography-MN

And the Christmas shows just keep on coming and I’m fine with that, give me Christmas shows in July if they are as perfectly wonderful as Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts is. I’ve enjoyed many a show at this Main Street Stage but this ranks right up there as one of the best. I’m always wary of modern sequels to classics and as such though this has been performed locally before this was my first time. I am a fan of Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice, though it’s been decades since I read the novel, I did rewatch one of the film versions last week as a refresher. I found this, the first in a trilogy of Christmas at Pemberley plays by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, to be a worthy and continuation of the story of the Bennet sisters. The play spoke to the same emotions I experience when enjoying Austen’s original works and their adaptations. The same thrill of will they or won’t they, the highs of the romance, the infuriating injustices, and the admiration for such strong female characters. Gunderson and Melcon have captured the spirit of Austen’s characters and given us the next chapter in their story which is as rewarding as revisiting the original. Lyric Arts has exceeded all expectations with a wonderful set and a cast that could not be improved upon. If you enjoy Austen’s books or the film and television adaptation you will not want to miss this brilliant production.

Gunderson and Melcon pick up the story of the Bennet sisters two years after the events in Pride & Prejudice. It is Christmas and Mr. and Mrs Darcy formerly Miss Elizabeth Bennet are hosting Christmas for her family. First to arrive are Mr. and Mrs. Bingley who is Elizabeth’s sister Jane along with their sister Mary Bennet, who is the Miss Bennet of the title. As Pride & Prejudice revolved around the romantic lives of Elizabeth, Jane, and Lydia, who arrives shortly after the others, this one will revolve around Mary, unmarried sister. Kitty, the 5th and youngest sister does not appear nor does Georgiana, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, though their story is told in the third of the Christmas at Pemberley cycle Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley which is currently being produced by the Jungle Theater in Uptown (watch for a review of that play later in the week). Also in attendance is Arthur de Bourgh who has just inherited the estate of his late aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh who tried to come between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in P&P on behalf of her daughter Anne who also appears in this story. It becomes obvious that Mary and Arthur are cut from the same cloth as soon as they meet, but as always seems to be the case with these Bennet girls the road to happiness cannot be as smooth as simply finding each other. The script addresses themes common in Austen’s work, there are misunderstandings, senses of misplaced duty and responsibility, and subtle critiques of customs and gender roles.

The cast is led by Elizabeth Efteland as Mary Bennet and Scott Laban as Arthur de Bourgh and they are both perfectly suited for their roles. Efteland plays the no nonsense Mary as a young woman who has grown into some of the traits we recognize from her sister Elizabeth. Laban, who is making his Twin Cities acting debuts and manages to play Arthur as someone unable to stand up for themselves but somehow make that an endearing quality. The chemistry between Efteland and Laban is palpable, it’s clear from their first interactions that these two should be together. Heaven help the production who casts these roles with lesser talents, both roles could easily be played in a way that would incite as much irritation from the audience as warmth, but this pair finds just the right tone in every scene that we never want for anything less then their complete and utter happiness. The entire cast is great it’s hard to single out anyone but I do want to take notice of two performers that were new to me and that really delivered. Noah Hynick as Mr. Bingley was a treat, his delivery well timed for comic effect. Katrina Stelk as Anne de Bourgh, a character you can’t stand, thanks in no small part to Stelk’s performance. She commits totally to her characters snobbishness and domineering attitude, it’s a character you love to hate. Really one of the best ensemble casts I’ve had the pleasure to see this season, one hopes that Lyric Arts will schedule the next two plays during the next two years utilizing this cast if possible.

Director Elena Giannetti has found the tone for this play that matches what I feel when I read Austen. This feels like the perfect fit between director and script, the pacing is quick without being rushed and she blocks the characters so as to make the most of a set that makes a medium sized stage look larger than it is. The set design by Greg Vanselow has outdone anything I’ve seen him achieve in the past. It’s the use of the space to create the sense of a larger room than we are actually viewing. It is truly beautiful in design and execution and possibly the best looking set I’ve seen yet at Lyric Arts. Like every other aspect of this production I was impressed and all expectations were exceeded. The props by Kat Walker, the work of scenic artist Victoria Clawson, and the lighting design by Kurt Jung all enhanced and complimented the set. The Costumes by Samantha Fromm Haddow were wonderful, I was rather taken with Mary’s costumes in particular, especially a smart blue coat she wears for one scene and her shawls throughout. This really was one of the best looking shows I’ve seen at Lyric Arts as well.

I urge every to catch this beguiling production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts in Anoka. It felt like sending time with old friends again and what a wonderful feeling that is at this time of year. The show runs through December 18th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/miss-bennet

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Comes Magically to Life at Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins

The two major family holiday shows this season are Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Children’s Theatre Company and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at Stages theatre Company. Both come from animated Christmas specials that I grew up watching every year during their annual broadcasts in December. Like CTC’s production of Grinch, Stages goes all out to recreate the look and feel of the original animated classic. It’s an impressive show filled with ingenious ways to recreate all your favorite moments from childhood viewings. A very faithful adaptation that adds nothing plot wise but does fill the show out with a little more musical segments, all are welcome additions. It’s the perfect show for families to get them in the Christmas spirit and create that sense of magical wonder in the wee ones.

The script was adapted from the story by Robert L. May and the song by Johnny Marks by Robert Penola with arrangements by Timothy Splain and orchestrations by William C. White. The story is told by Sam the Snowman as he recalls the year they almost cancelled Christmas due to the worst winter storm they’d ever seen. We see Santa’s first meeting with Rudolph, his meet cute with Clarice, and his exclusion from reindeer games. We meet Hermey, the elf who dreams of being a real Dentist and teams up with fellow misfit Rudolph to try and find a place where they will fit in. Along the way they hook up with silver and gold prospector Yukon Cornelius. Yukon Cornelius helps them to escape from the Abominable Snow Monster or Bumble as Yukon calls him. Adrift on an ice raft they come ashore on the island of misfit toys, which are toys that nobody wants like a train with square wheels and a Charlie-in-the-Box. Rudolph and his friends are asked to speak to Santa when they go back to Christmas Town about finding children for the misfit toys. Worried that his nose endangers his friends, Rudolph sneaks off in the night, when he discovers that his parents and Clarice have left to search for him he goes looking for them and finds them in the lair of the Abominable Snow Monster! Rudolph will need the help of his friends to safe his loved ones, but at what cost will the rescue come? You’ll have to see the show to find out.

The cast does a fine job of embodying these well known characters making an effort to sound like the original voices as much as possible. Standouts in the cast include Stages veteran Bruce Rowan who guides us through the story as Sam the Snowman much as Burl Ives did in the original. Todd Bruse as Coach Comet & Yukon Cornelius, he manages to make Comets snubbing of Rudolph after his red nose is discovered not quite as harsh as it comes off in the original, which is a well made change. Athan Fischer as Rudolph cannot emulate the voice we are used to and that’s okay but a misstep in direction is taken when the puppet used in the first scene of a baby Rudolph, does speak with that voice. It would have been better to use Fischer’s voice consistently. Matt Ouren is quite good as Hermey the elf that is just a little bit different than the other elves, at least in his career aspirations.

The true star of the show though is the look and aesthetic of the production. Everything from the Set Design by Gretchen Katt to the Lighting Design by Karin Olson goes towards creating the world of Rankin and Bass’s classic stop motion animated special. Going into Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, I wondered how they are going to pull off certain scenes or if they would need to be changed. Stages approached this with a can do attitude and I can’t think of a thing they changed. We have flying reindeers, a giant bumble, and even several Christmas tree forest animals. Which brings us to Costumes & Make-up Designer Samantha Fromm Haddow, based off the original designs done by Christina A. Richardson, who has made every character on stage look like the original versions, it was like seeing these characters come to life. The forest creatures and misfit toys also look like the originals and are brought to life very effectively by puppeteers much the same way as Olaf in the stage version of Frozen. All of the stage magic employed really contributes to creating what is simply a wondrous musical experience.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is highly recommended for a family holiday outing it’s a great alternative to The Guthrie Theaters A Christmas Carol for those with kids under ten, for whom that show might be to frightening. It’s also a great alternative to CTC Grinch for families on a budget as tickets are about half the price, and both shows will delight their target age groups. The production runs through December 27th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.stagestheatre.org/rudolph/

A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater an Annual Tradition Still Gets Me in the Holiday Spirit

Last night was the opening of the Guthrie Theater’s 48th production of A Christmas Carol. It’s a sign in the Twin cities that the holiday season has begun. If you’ve lived in the Twin Cities for a decade or more it’s likely you’ve seen one of the Guthrie Theaters annual productions of A Christmas Carol. It’s sort of a MN tradition, like Lefse at Thanksgiving. If you are new to town and haven’t gone yet, don’t worry you will, it’s as inevitable as taxes and the Vikings not going to the Super Bowl. Every production is different of course, some cast changes occur from year to year certainly, but for many years they utilize the same costume, set designs, and script. This year is the second run of their reimagined production using a script by Lavina Jadhwani and Directed by Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj. In its second year, this adaptation featuring much of the same cast, has been tweaked ever so slightly and as a result they have improved upon a good thing. Matthew Saldivar as Scrooge seems to have embraced more of the humor this year and a couple of technical aspects have been adjusted and it has made for a smoother and richer production overall. More than last year I was completely taken with this adaptation, it’s a testament to all involved that a story we know so well can be enjoyed over and over again.

A Christmas Carol was first published as a Novella in 1843, in 1844 the first stage adaptations appeared. It tells the story of a miserly old business man Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited on Christmas Eve by three ghosts sent by his old business partner Jacob Marley. The ghosts are spirits of different times. The first is the Ghost of Christmas Past and shows him scenes from his past. Second, the Ghost of Christmas Present, which gives him a look into the lives of those celebrating Christmas that year, including his nephew Fred, and the family of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. Lastly, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, wherein he sees his own future and people’s responses to it. The point of these visitations sent to Scrooge by Marley is so that he might learn the error of his ways and change while there is still time. Scrooge of course comes to realize how he changed over time and of the fruitlessness of such a selfish existence. By the end of the play he has found the spirit of Christmas and no longers thinks of it as a humbug. What this adaptation does that is different from some others is introducing earlier in the story Scrooge’s desire to change. Not simply from being frightened by the ghosts, but we sense very quickly he has seen the errors of his ways and is trying to find the path to redemption. Rather than being afraid of the results should he not change, we see a Scrooge who is seeking change. This shift in focus doesn’t alter the plot but it does make Scrooge more of an active participant in his own redemption. It is a positive message and fits well with Dickens themes and message.

Matthew Saldivar in his second year as Scrooge finds humor when appropriate but also sells the desire for redemption. The Guthrie always puts together a fine ensemble of actors. Some standouts in this production were John Catron back again as Bob Cratchit, whose embodiment of the glass is always half full philosophy felt like a sincere representation of a deeply good person rather than a fool who doesn’t realize how badly off he is. Also Emjoy Gavino who reprises the role of Mrs. Cratchit, who is not quite as charitable as Bob, but won over as we are by his unwavering goodness. They play a very well matched couple and their banter rings true. Charity Jones as the Ghost of Jacob Marley is a performance that felt rather fresh, it wasn’t the usual slow talking moaning ghost, there was a little more there and that definitely worked well and marked this as a fresh take on the material. Eric Sharp as Scrooge’s nephew Fred wonderfully captures the amiable nature of a man who simply refuses to be offended by his uncles constant rejection. It’s nice to see a cast made up principally of local actors and including area favorites like Regina Marie Williams, Tyler Michaels King, Paul de Cordova, and China Brickey.

One of the greatest successes of this production are on the technical side including set design, lighting, and projection effects. I like the set design, this old London cityscape that seems to tower over the characters. Shifting into different configurations so that new elements can be brought forward or rotated to reveal a new environment. There were a couple of issues I had last year that seem to have been tweaked for this years run. Last year I commented that the scenery has windows that can be seen through, on a couple of occasions I was distracted by seeing characters I shouldn’t moving behind the scenery. The blocking seems to have been adjusted to avoid that this year. Secondly, there was a short scene where Scrooge visits a ship out at sea. Last year as I recall there was a large set piece with characters atop it moved in to represent a ship at sea which seemed cumbersome and unnecessarily extravagant, the scene still occurs but the set piece has been removed and the characters simply come forward from an opening in the set. This is a case of less is more, we keep the scene but are not brought out of the moment by what feels like too much for too little, I think this adjustment by director Haj is well made. The scene is still combined with a sea projection which is an effective technique but, as I noted last year, it stayed on far too long after that scene had ended. We were well into the next bit, back on land, and it was still running. Another very well executed technical aspect was the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The Costume Designer Toni-Leslie James has created a costume that feels like something out of a Guillermo del Toro film. It frightened Scrooge onstage and I didn’t feel so brave myself, this is primarily the moment that informs my advice to parents that the production might be to scary for those under ten. The ghost costume must stand ten feet if not more and is a marvel to behold and is impressively worn and controlled by Andy Frye. Though there is no dialogue for the actor it’s as impressive a performance as any on the stage, movements that are otherworldly yet extremely expressive.

The Guthrie has created this tradition of the annual mounting of A Christmas Carol and I like to think of families getting together once a year at the holidays to take the joys of a outing to the theater. I’m not implying that people should see A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie every year, but create that tradition of enjoying live theatre for the holidays. This show is probably too dark and scary for kids under 10, but when the kids get to the appropriate age, introduce them to this MN Staple of ghosts and Christmas spirit. Until then there are plenty of local options like Dr Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Children’s Theatre Company and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at Stages Theatre Company. Then, next year find another show perhaps Penumbra’s Black Nativity, and then another, and well, then probably circle back to A Christmas Carol. There is a reason it’s in it’s 48th year, people come back to it. Partly because it is one of those stories that resonates with all of us.

A Christmas Carol runs through December 31st for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2022-2023-season/a-christmas-carol/