Black Nativity Raises the Roof of the Manger A Joyful Penumbra Theatre Tradition.

Penumbra Theatre has been staging Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity since 1987, it’s another annual holiday tradition that brings audiences back year after year while also drawing new audiences each year. I’ve been trying to see it for a few years and my schedule never worked out, so I was thrilled to finally get to experience it for the first time this year. As one can surmise from the title it’s the story of the birth of Jesus told from a cultural perspective that reflects the Author’s experiences on the world and of this story. While heavily steeped in christianity, take it from a lapsed atheist that there is much joy, hope, and understanding to be found in Black Nativity. The show is Directed by Lou Bellamy who has been involved with the show in every iteration at Penumbra since they began presenting it in 1987. Bellamy notes in his Directors notes that Hughes left room for a wide variety of interpretations and that Penumbra’s productions have evolved over time, much like the Guthrie’s annual A Christmas Carol offerings. This years format is more or less in the style of a concert with a few brief scenes of interpretive dance Choreographed by Marciano Silva dos Santos. I love the idea that if I go again in two or three years time I may see something mounted in a different way, but also knowing that the joyful noise of it will remain intact.

The cast features Jennifer Whitlock as the Narrator whose text is based in the scripture verses I have grown up with, but there are moments where it departs or where the emphasis that Whitlock brings to them casts a new light on the words, one that we can recognize as a question to the audience. Asking does this sound familiar? Does this still hold true today? Do you see the parallels? Of course the answers are sadly yes, but the show doesn’t lead us to these reflections in order to leave us mired in our reality but to then lift us up with hope and the message of love and salvation and peace. It’s a message we all need to be reminded of this time of year whatever our denomination, race, or financial situation. It’s a reminder that hope can come from the lowest of places and greatness can come from one born in a manger. The main soloists are Jamecia Bennett and Dennis spears, and watch out when they come on stage, because it’s from them that much of that joyful noise comes and it will have your hands clapping and your feet stomping along with them. Bennett is a powerhouse of a vocalist seemingly having no need for air intake, as she raises the roof with what I would almost associate with a jazz style performance. Spears is rich of voice but can also become playful with breathy vocals and fancy footwork. The dancers I mentioned are Hassan Ingraham and MerSadies McCoy and they stand in during a couple of songs as Joseph and Mary. This was one of my favorite parts of the show, coming at just the right place to add something new visually and unlike some dance this felt like it was driven by the story of the songs and gave an illustration of the emotions within. Ingraham and McCoy move wonderfully and gracefully together and watching them was a delight.

The Musical Director was Sanford Moore and his musicians really raise the roof. The main performers are accompanied by the Kingdom Life Church Choir and acting as the Choir director and also performing a fantastic solo is William Wesley. If you’ve never been to Black Nativity, I encourage all to add it to your calendars, it is such a joyful and celebratory show. Black Nativity runs through December 24th at Penumbra in St. Paul, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://penumbratheatre.org/event/black-nativity-2023/#7

This Holiday season why not start a new tradition of taking in a live theater production with family and friends? It’s a great way to create lasting memories and will give you something to look forward to every year as you experience the magic of live theater. Whether your budget is large or small, there is a show for you. Looking for gift ideas? Don’t we all have enough “stuff”? Give the gift of live theater, go to your favorite theaters website, see what shows they have coming up in the new year and give the gift of an experience over material.

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Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) at the Suburban Oasis Known as Yellow Tree Theatre

Charles Fraser, Madeleine Rowe, and Elise Langer Photo by Tom Wallace

I never tire of championing Yellow Tree Theatre, the little theatre that can, in Osseo Minnesota. It’s a theatre company that puts on quality shows outside of the city. It can function as a first step theater for those in the suburbs who are afraid to drive into the city, you know who you are. They put on the kind of shows that can get someone excited about theater and maybe push them to seek out other performances. But it should also be a two way street, Guthrie fans, Theater Latte Da fans, there is quality work being done at places like Yellow Tree outside of the city. Honestly, after the show we dropped off my son and his partner at their apartment in downtown Minneapolis and it took us 21 minutes to get there, so it’s not a long trek out of the city to see this. Need some kind of assurance of the quality of the productions at Yellow Tree? Well Austene Van is the Artistic Director, if you don’t know the name, you should. She has been on stage and directed for the Guthrie, she’s also a choreographer and writer, I refer to her as the busiest woman in theater. She’s busy because she’s talented and passionate, and she brings those qualities to Yellow Tree. Everyone there embodies those qualities and a spirit of community that makes it a very special place. On any given night you may very well see Van selling concessions including the dangerously addictive Thomasina’s Cashew Brittle. You’ll not be surprised to find the Director of their Christmas show, Jason Ballweber, helping out in the box office. And the Usher for tonight? Their new Marketing & Development Coordinator Christopher Kehoe. Everyone is supporting the show wherever they are needed and it’s an example of the ideal theatre as community model. I know this is an odd start to a review, but I believe in creating new theater audiences and I believe theaters like Yellow Tree play a vital role in achieving that goal. They do that by making quality theater available, not just to those in the cities, but those in the suburbs as well. Also Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) isn’t the kind of show you can say a lot about, it’s like a stream of consciousness riff on all things Christmas. The details are the point, the surprises and where the humor lies, you don’t want me to ruin the jokes by writing about them, so we need to keep this vague.

The set up is that in the opening moments of a production of A Christmas Carol one of the performers stops the show and confesses they just can’t perform this show one more time. It’s a good natured poke at Theater’s like the Guthrie who performs that story annually for nearly 50 years at this point. Soon the three performers played by Charles Fraser, Elise Langer, and Madeleine Rowe as Actors named Charles, Elise, and Madeleine have decided to instead, put on a show featuring all the holiday movies, stories, TV specials, commercials, and even parades that we collectively love. What follows is a non stop flow of comedic abridgements of everything from How The Grinch Stole Christmas to a Norelco Advertisement. And yes, to pacify Elise who was reluctant to abandon it, A Christmas Carol. All three performers are giving it their all, with Langer playing the reluctant participant to the others outrageous antics. Fraser, does some really good impressions early on and almost seems to be the onstage Director on the hilarious chaos, finding some nice moments to add a little audience participation ad libs. My favorite though had to be Rowe who seems to be playing the Lou Costello to Langer’s Bud Abbott at times. Rowe plays themself as a cross between one of the Animaniacs and a child who innocently still believes in Santa Claus. The trio work together to make this one of the funniest and absurd Christmas shows I’ve seen. For those who enjoy this show I’d recommend venturing into the city and checking out the slightly more adult oriented All I Want For Christmas is You…to Elf Off, at Brave New Workshop.

Jason Ballweber Directs the show and he’s not afraid to use every conceivable exit and entrance to the stage, even staging some of the jokes out in the lobby (audible only of course). Samantha Fromm Haddow is the Costume Designer and though the cast is small, the costumes are many and very creative. Sometimes quite elaborate like the Christmas tree costume Rowe wears in one scene, other times it’s as simple but effective as a green shawl that Langer puts over her head to become the Grinch. The feel of the makeshift show is enhanced as well by the work of the Properties Designer Brandt Roberts, Lighting Designer Shannon Elliott, and the Scenic Designer Justin Hooper. Hooper’s set is deceptively simple but giving the performers and Ballweber a lot to play with in their staging.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) runs through December 31st at Yellow Tree theatre in Osseo, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/everyxmasstory

History Theatre Whips Up A Delicious World Premiere With the New Musical I Am Betty

(l-r) Kiko Laureano, Camryn Buelow, Olivia Kemp, Anna Hashizume, Erin Capello, Ruthie Baker. Center: Jennifer Grimm Photo by Rick Spaulding

I Am Betty the new musical from History Theatre in St. Paul is another success from a theatre with a rich history of creating new works. Steeped in Minnesota details it celebrates the countless women behind the myth of Betty Crocker. The story tracks the roles of women throughout the 20th century and we see what Betty Crocker, the marketing icon, has represented to different women at different times over the past 100 years. With book and lyrics by Cristina Luzarraga and music and lyrics by Denise Prosek, directed by Maija Garcia with Musical Direction by Sonja Thompson, and featuring a cast of nine of the Twin Cities most gifted female performers, it’s a show that practices what it preaches. The female voice onstage and backstage is vital to telling this story. It’s a story that reminds us how far we as a society have come, and celebrates the far too often undervalued accomplishments and contributions of woman throughout the past century. A testament to the career woman as well as the homemaker, showing us the power of diversity and choice.

Luzarraga and Proseks story focuses on two woman who made a deep impact on the world of Betty Crocker. Act I follows the creation and building of the Betty Crocker brand by Marjorie Child Husted beginning in 1921. We see how Betty Crocker went from answering letters to starring on a radio and Tv programs, how innovations were created by the women who worked in the General Mills test kitchens, and how they created low cost recipes during the depression, creating Bisquick to help save time in the kitchen. Husted was a driven and intelligent woman who sacrificed a personal life for many years because she saw value in the work she and the women she worked with were doing. Act II follows Barbara Jo Davis whom we are introduced to as a young black woman who dreams of growing up to be Betty Crocker and does to the extent that any one woman is Betty Crocker. As we get into the 1960’s and the women’s liberation movement builds, we get a scene where Betty Friedan and Barbara Jo debate the choice to be a homemaker, both having valid points it illustrates the importance of choice, that what seems like a sentence to unpaid labor to some, is something for which others find great pride in.

The cast is a recipe for musical gold and the songs by Prosek and Luzarraga give them all the right ingredients to whip up a musical soufflet. The songs mirror the times in which they are performed, so we get everything from the jazz age to 80’s power ballads. My favorite song was “Lo Bueno Con Lo Malo” which is performed in Spanish by Kiko Laureano as a Cuban mother singing to her college aged daughter played by Erin Capello. I loved the song, I loved that it was performed in Spanish and I loved the message of those two characters who are revisited throughout Act II. Capello also plays Marjorie Child Husted throughout Act I, it’s a great performance that lends a human face and noble aspirations to what one could argue is a marketing tool. Capello lets us see the dedication and desire to help that motivated Husted and lends legitimacy to the symbol that is Betty Crocker. Lynnea Doublette plays Barbara Jo and really grabbed my attention with her 60’s style girl group song “I Want to Be Her” which is my kind of music. She really takes center stage in Act II and also excels at providing a solid portrait of a role model of an intelligent successful career woman who finds her life’s work in home economics helping to develop Hamburger Helper. The entire cast is great but I have to say my favorite was crowd pleaser Jennifer Grimm, who’s vocal talents are always stunning but who really surprised me with some very comical parts frequently as men.

I am Betty reminded me of a show my wife and I watched recently on Apple TV+ called Lessons in chemistry. It’s based on a novel by Bonnie Garmus, which my wife had just read for her book club. I encourage fans of I Am Betty to check it out as it explores many of the same themes and I think if you liked one, you’ll really enjoy the other. I Am Betty runs through December 23rd at the History theatre in Downtown St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2023-2024/i-am-betty

The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts in Anoka is Another Joyful Continuation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

Last year Lyric Arts performed the first in the Christmas at Pemberley cycle titled Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley while the Jungle Theater premiered the third in the trilogy Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley. Now, thanks again to Lyric Arts, I can cross the second play The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley off my must see list. Let me take a moment to state two things. Firstly, I fell in love with both of last years Christmas at Pemberley productions. Secondly, from this moment forth we will dispense with the “Christmas at Pemberley” tag. After all I’m not being paid by the word, in fact I’m not being paid at all. How does The Wickhams measure up to last years triumphes is the primary question going into this latest production. It’s everything the other plays are, fitting perfectly with them, while as is the case with all three plays, working all on its own. Another wonderful cast bringing to life Austen’s beloved characters upon a spectacular set. It’s the time of Christmas miracles, as I head into the busiest two weeks of my theater loving life, this was the gift I was truly hoping for. My biggest fear going into this play was that it wouldn’t recapture the magic of last years Pemberley’s. My biggest regret is that my words cannot convey how deeply I treasure the world of these plays and how grateful I am that this is another resounding success.

The Wickhams, as with the other plays in the trilogy, was written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon who have captured the essence of Austen’s work and carried her characters on in a fashion that befits the source material. With The Wickhams, they have added a dash of Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs in a very satisfying way. This Pemberley edition focuses on the Lydia and George Wickham and is set in the servants common room below stairs. Which is most convenient because taking place at the same time above stairs are the events of the first play Miss Bennet. But while Lydia and Wickham are the main characters whose romantic fortunes we are following from Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the play focuses as well on a trio of servants. The new characters are the housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds, Brian a footman with a mind for inventions, and Cassie a new maid. As the household prepares for Christmas, the drama kicks into high gear when a drunken and beaten Wickham barges into the common room and Mrs. Reynolds, who has known him since a boy, allows him to stay despite the fact that he is banned from Pemberley. The servants must try and get him to leave before anyone upstairs discovers he is present.

The problem with a cast like this is that they are all perfect in their roles and so how do you single anyone out. So I’m going to focus on the performers I’m not familiar with that really made a strong first impression. Kayla Hambek is wonderful as Mrs. Reynolds the housekeeper, who is no nonsense on the outside but has a true heart and wisdom to spare. Nadia Franzen who plays the maid Cassie and also is the Music Director for the show, which has a surprising amount of music including incidental music performed by and uncredited but very effective Violinist. Frazen’s Cassie is strong willed and self assured, and she plays these traits with intelligence and kindness, being a comforting and encouraging figure for Lydia, whom most of the other characters have trouble even tolerating. Felipe Escudero is perfectly vile and charming as the villian George Wickham. He’s a character no one can root for, but he plays him in such a way that we can understand those who try and see the good in him. Finally, Grace Klapak perfectly navigates the role of Lydia, she has to elicit our sympathy but still be true to the character, which is tactless, vulgar, loud, and very very silly. Klapak knows to play those traits, though slightly mellowed by the passage of a few years of marriage, but when needed she brings the emotional weight required for certain scenes without those feelings seeming to come from nowhere.

Marci Lucht directs the play making a lot of decisions that really add to the production. The violinist who provides transition music wandering through the set is a good example of an element that seems simple but really adds to the mood and feel of the production. Even the choice that seems strange like the post intermission sing along, while odd, is still so enjoyable that we forgive its lack of dramatic sense. The costumes by Christy Branham and Jessica Moore are wonderfully realized, from Wickhams uniform, to the elegant gowns worn by the Bennet Sisters. The real stunner though is Greg Vanselow’s set design centered around a large fireplace and chimney with large support columns that rise high into the ceiling and over the set. Windows that allow sight lines to characters in other areas of the basement add depth to the set. All aspects working to add a sense of scale that’s quite astonishing to behold.

The Wickhams runs through December 22nd at Lyric Arts in Anoka. If you haven’t seen the other plays don’t worry, they can all be enjoyed individually and in any order. I do recommend having a working knowledge of Pride and Prejudice to get the most out of any of the plays. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/the-wickhams.

The Secret of Chimney Manor, This Year’s Theatre in the Round Agatha Christie Thriller.

The Agatha Christie play is an annual tradition at Theatre in the Round and also an annual tradition in my family. Since 2015 when I discovered Theatre in the Round, in their 64th season, I’ve taken the Aged P (my Mother) to the Agatha Christie production. Christie is a favorite author of hers and mine, and given the fact that she’s the best selling fiction writer of all time, I’m assuming quite a few others as well. This years entry is a world premiere of a new adaptation of the novel The Secret of Chimneys by playwright Todd Olson. A script full of red herrings you may find yourself at intermission trying to solidify your understanding of who’s who and what has transpired so far. If ever a play needed an intermission it’s this one. By the end of the night as the solution to the mystery came out, I had everyone clear and understood the solution, I can’t vouch for the Aged P though. The Christie productions are always fun and this one features some good performances though the production as a whole seems somewhat unfocused and not as sharp as it could be. While they attempt to get the slightly more humorous tone of this early Christie novel across, it only comes through in fits and spurts.

The book introduced two characters who would make repeat performances in Christie’s work Superintendent Battle, who would appear in five novels, and Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent would return in The Seven Dials Mystery alongside Battle. It would be fun to see The Seven Dials Mystery adapted in a future season with the same performers in the roles. While Battle is the Scotland Yard man on the scene of the play’s crime, he acts a secondary lead to the stories true protagonist, or is he actually the antagonist, Anthony Cade. Cade is a down on his luck “Englishman” abroad who runs into James McGrath an old friend that commissions him to return to England and deliver two bundles. One is the manuscript to the memoirs of the late Count Stylptitch of Herzoslovakia. The other are some love letters that need to be returned to the author, a Virginia Revel who is staying at Chimney Manor. It’s thought she was being blackmailed by the person from whom the letters were recovered. Upon reaching England, attempts are made to buy and steal the manuscript which is thought to contain potentially embarrassing or damaging information about Herzoslovakia. Cade makes his way to Chimney Manor to return the letters only to discover that Miss Revel did not write them and that a murder has been committed. Clues and misdirections abound and practically no one is whom they appear to be.

Among the standouts in the cast is Seamus Foley as Anthony Cade, he gets the lighthearted almost screwball comedy aspect of the classic British Hitchcock lead, intelligent and witty. Unfortunately, the bantery relationship he should have with Emily Jabas’ Virginia Revel, doesn’t come across. It’s difficult to say if it’s the script, direction or Jaba’s choices as performer that fail to capture the sense of playful romance between the two characters. My suspicion is that the script could have bulked that up a bit and the Director could have put more focus on what was there in the script. Erik Steen does a nice job as Superintendent Battle, he comes across as intelligent and capable, but in a way that allows him to also cede the foreground to Cade. Kristen Mathisen who plays Lady Caterham Of Chimney Manor makes the most of a small roll delivering the dry humor and the perfect British flavor which the rest of the productions mostly hints at. Mathisen and Foley’s performances should have been the model on which the entire production is built but as such, they are the outliers and it feels like a missed opportunity. Stu Naber plays two roles, unfortunately there is no effort made either via costume or hair and makeup to differentiate them, causing some audience members to assume it was the same character. In contrast, Luke Langfeldt has to play at least four different roles and distinguishes each nicely. But the accent put on as Monsieur Lemoine, his largest role, may be too strong. It’s a fine line between an accent to lend credibility to your role but still being clearly understood.

It’s hard to know in a case like this, where I haven’t read the script or seen another production, if the reason for the lack of a cohesive style lies with the Director L. Robert Westeen or Olson the Playwright. Either way, while we get there in the end and certainly some misdirection is intended, the whole lacks the sharpness of the classic whodunits of the golden age. The elements are there for the making of a great mashup of Christie Story with a dash of P.G. Wodehouse, in the style of one of Hitchcock’s British Masterpieces like The 39 Steps or The Lady Vanishes. I think the script supports that approach, but maybe it doesn’t and Westeen was doing his best to mold it into that. The set design by Madeline Achen had me slightly worried during the first scene change, which took far longer than ideal, Nothing messes with the pace and flow of a story more than grinding everything to a halt as set changes are made. Thankfully, the concern was short lived as all other changes happened much quicker and I thought Achen’s design allowed for some well done scene changes without being overly elaborate. Particularly well done was a secret passage, which utilized a scrip so what appeared to be a solid wall, we were able to see through into the hidden space when characters entered it. Deb Murphy does a nice job with the period costumes, with the exception of a poorly fitting suit worn by Monsieur Lemoine.

The Secret of Chimney Manor despite my criticisms is fun and full of twists, turns and surprises. The production runs through December 17th at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/secret/

Christmas At the Local Makes a Welcome Return To Theater Latté Da For Another Season of Song, Hope, and Fellowship

The Cast of Christmas at the Local Photo by Dan Norman

Christmas at the Local returns to Theater Latté Da for the second year and while ideally we’d see an alternation between it and their other Christmas tradition All Is Calm, there’s no denying it’s charms. In a theater holiday season filled with “must see” productions, Christmas at the Local justifies return business as it makes its case for a new Holiday tradition alongside The Guthrie’s A Christmas Carol and Penumbra’s Black Nativity. Nostalgically reminding us of Christmases of the past while sending a message of peace for today and the future. Filled entirely of music, prose and poetry, there is no narrative among the characters on stage but that which we the audience project on them. All we are given, indeed all we need, are eight performers who gather at The Local, pull out their instruments and play and sing songs for one another and share a story and a poem. Gathering in a way that is familiar from our collective youths and yet so foreign to us now. It makes one long for the days when we uninhibitedly sang Christmas Carols around the tree and gathered with the aunties and uncles, cousins and family friends to celebrate en masse. More a gathering in a local bar listening to local musicians than a musical, more a feeling of sitting in a family room sharing stories than a poetry or spoken word recietal. It’s hard to describe the completeness one feels at this performance which is so simple, yet so perfect.

Christmas at the Local features songs from the likes of Paul Simon, Shane MacGowan and Joni Mitchell as well as traditional Welsh songs and holiday staples. The eight performers including among them Jason Hansen, who is also the Music Director and arranged and orchestrated all of the music, play all of the music on stage, several of the performers play multiple instruments. It’s like hitting the right bar on open mic night where everyone is fantastic and joins in with one another. The show also features a telling of A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas with music composed by Cerys Matthews and Mason Neely. It was a version of this composition by Matthews and Neely on MPR radio that sparked the idea for Christmas at the Local with Theater Latté Da’s former artistic Director Peter Rothstein. Originally slated to debut in 2020, the Pandemic caused the delay but also inspired the inclusion of the poem “The Longing for Amazing Peace” by Dr. Maya Angelou with music by Chastity Brown. The spoken word pieces are performed by the entire cast with the Proprietor of the Local played by Joy Dolo featured most prominently. With everything happening in the world this year “The Longing for Amazing Peace” feels more relevant than ever. There was a sense that they show lost a sliver of it’s joy, which I think is due to an added gravitas we the audience and they the performers bring to the message of the poem. Always an important message to be sure, but this year instead of a message of hope it feels more like a plea, which seems sadly appropriate.

This years production is essentially a complete remount of 2022’s with the same brilliant eight performers. Joy Dolo, is the Proprietor who is my favorite in a cast of favorites. She sings well but where she really shines is when it comes to the spoken word performances. Taking the lead as the main narrator of A Child’s Christmas in Wales, she is wonderfully expressive sucking you into the humor and beauty of Dylan Thomas’ perfectly chosen words. Playful but not childish, it’s perfectly calibrated, changing tones from sentence to sentence; at times a wistful remembrance, at other times a riotous tale of childhood mischief. At the start of the show it feels like Dolo is there as a support, to keep the glasses full and lend her voice to the chorus, by the end it’s clear she is the heart and soul of the production. The entire cast is fantastic, it’s an embarrassment of riches to be sure. Phinehas Bynum an alum of All Is Calm is on keys and has a nice supporting role in the Thomas piece as the narrator’s friend. Bradley Greenwald with his rich voice and baritone horn are a perfect compliment and provide some wonderful touches of humor. Matt Riehle here with guitar in hand rocks the appropriately sanitized version “Fairytale of New York” with Dolo. Rounding out the cast are Spencer Chandler on accordion, Elizabeth Reese on flute/saxophone, Quinn Shadko on violin, and of course as mentioned above Jason Hansen on a multitude of instruments including the mandolin. All sing beautifully, particularly angelic are Reese and Shadko whose voices complement each other nicely. I also want to highlight the Scenic Designer Benjamin Olsen, whose set for The Local is one of the best I’ve ever seen. He has perfectly created the neighborhood haunt of our collective imagination, the place where everyone knows your name, where stories told are for all to share in, and everyone joins in the singing of songs. The set is recognizably a present day location while simultaneously feeling like it could have existed 50 years ago exactly as it is. It adds to the timelessness of the entire production.

Christmas at the Local will transport you to an idyllic world. Where the Christmases past are remembered with advantages. A place where we all sing well and speak eloquently of peace and good will to all. I recommend sitting as close to the stage as possible, no the front row is not too close. The show runs through December 31st, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/christmas-at-the-local-2023

A Christmas Carol At the Guthrie Theater Just Keeps Getting Better Every Year

Matthew Saldivar (Ebenezer Scrooge) and Charity Jones (Marley) Photo by Dan Norman

I always open my review with: 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. But this year I learned I was wrong. This is the third year of the latest adaptation and reinterpretation of the classic and I was going to give it a miss in light of the busy schedule that always fills up too quickly this time of year. But a young woman named Jayla, with little exposure to theater but with a curiosity and enthusiasm to experience it, came into my families life. She has lived in the Twin Cities for more than ten years, but has never seen a production at the Guthrie let alone A Christmas Carol. When she asked if we could see it, I immediately changed my plans to skip it. Like the play itself which teaches Ebenezer Scrooge the true meaning of Christmas, Jayla reminded me of the true meaning of blogging. I began doing this years ago in hopes of encouraging people to leave their homes and go out and experience the rich theater community that the Twin Cities has to offer. I wanted to create new theater going audiences, show people who didn’t know the magic of live theater, what was out there, what they didn’t even know they were missing. Though I’d seen this version of A Christmas Carol twice before seeing it through the eyes of a first timer, makes everything seem fresh and new. What was Jayla’s experience? This was the 7th show she’s seen in the last 30 days, 8th show ever, this is now her favorite. The best part? on the ride home after the show she said if she ever has kids, she is taking them to the theater!!!

Now every production is different of course, some cast changes occur from year to year certainly, but for many years they utilize the same costumes, set designs, and script. The script for the last three years is by Lavina Jadhwani, and it is directed this year by Addie Gorlin-Han taking over from Guthrie Artistic Director Joseph Haj, who helmed it the previous two years. This production features much of the same cast, Matthew Saldivar returns as Scrooge and has really come to own the role. It’s a testament to all involved that a story we know so well can be enjoyed over and over again. I like that The Guthrie has created this tradition. I like to think of families getting together once a year at the holidays to take in a live show every year. Theatre as a tradition. I’m not implying that people should see A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie every year, but create that tradition and there really isn’t a better place to start than The Guthrie’s A Christmas Carol. If you’ve seen it in previous years and enjoyed it, I encourage you to bring someone new, share the experience. What happens on the stage at your performance will never happen again precisely as it did and that is what makes live theater special. For myself I have to confess, I find the production to get better with every passing year. It’s impossible to remember exactly what happened one year and over a hundred and fifty shows ago. But I felt like there were changes this year, more humor perhaps? or maybe it’s my mind trying to rationalize how I could like it better and better every time I see it.

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 error 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 Third 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 is 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 Tyler Michaels King, Paul de Cordova, and China Brickey to name just a few.

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 is a brief scene during the journey with the Ghost of Christmas present that shows a ship out at sea, in previous years I had issues of different sorts with this scene. This year it felt like they nailed it, reading back through those reviews I suspect it was more technical mishaps than design. The ship set is combined with a sea projection which is an effective technique and gives the moment and epic feel. 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 the little girl in the row ahead of me was hiding under her coat. This is primarily the moment that informs my advice to parents that the production might be to scary for those under ten to twelve years of age. 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.

A Christmas Carol runs through December 30th at the Guthrie Theater for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/a-christmas-carol/