Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Trinity Repertory Company ushers the holiday season in with their presentation of their 47th production of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming. This is Trinity’s third show of its 60th season. This show’s underlying themes of charity, forbearance, and benevolence are universal. They are equally relevant to people of all religions and backgrounds, especially now with the upcoming 2024 election being upended by the former, four times indicted and arrested, as well as twice impeached ex-president. Also, because of his impending and ongoing trials about the Insurrection of the Capital on January 6th, of the stolen top-secret documents and being found guilty of assault and defamation as well as being found guilty of fraud and the still contentious climate of this country and disorder in the congress about the debt ceiling limit. “A Christmas Carol” is about the curmudgeonly miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghosts of Marley, Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come who hope to change his destiny and save his soul to ultimately discover the true meaning of Christmas.
Director Stephen Thorne, a marvelous actor, directs this year’s annual show. He creates an excellent telling of this well-known Christmas tale. The show is about Scrooge’s physical and emotional isolation from the community and how it affects our lives year after year. It will resonate with audiences after a worldwide pandemic and all the craziness around us. “A Christmas Carol” returns to a beautiful, colorful, and joyful tale this year, unlike like last year’s vision of doom and gloom. Stephen brings the comic moments to the forefront this year, adapting them into a less morbid version and using a great deal of musical numbers to convey the story and brighten the show’s mood. Musical director Michael Rice brings out the best in the cast for their many songs and conducts a five-piece orchestra. Choreographer YaTande Whitney V. Hunter makes the cast shine in the dance numbers. Also, his dance numbers brighten up the show with merriment. The enthusiastic audience thoroughly enjoyed the show with thunderous applause and gave a spontaneous standing ovation at curtain call.
This version opens with “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” with various cast members singing the song to set the right tone for Christmas. This version is inclusive in its vision. It opens with “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” and then the show goes to show Scrooge chewing out the solicitors, Bob and his niece, Fred, when they mention Christmas to him. It displays where Scrooge’s mindset is placed on business, not personal relationships. Stephen uses an upbeat number for Mrs. Dilber’s character, singing “Mrs. Fogarty’s Christmas Cake” with the cast. Phyllis Kaye steals the scene at the beginning of the show and has some hilarious comic zingers she provides in the closing scene when Scrooge sees her after his transformation. The audience laughed merrily at her expertise in this role. Also impressive was the dancing scene during the Fezziwig party, which was performed expertly and won the cast sustained applause.
Leading this 15-member cast this year is Mauro Hantman as Scrooge. He runs the gamut of emotions as the curmudgeonly miser. His comic moments include yelling at his niece, Fred, his employee, Bob Cratchit, the solicitors for the poor and the children to stop singing. However, the power of the role occurs when Mauro sees himself as a little boy Scrooge in Fan’s death scene, as young man Scrooge in the breakup with Belle, and when he sees the death of Tiny Tim. The audience is moved to laughter at first when Scrooge refuses to go along with what Christmas is telling him to do until the Fan scene brings him to tears, but also many more comic moments in Stephen’s version of “Christmas Carol.” Mauro also delivers a strong dramatic performance in his transformation sequence, which is amazing to behold as he speaks directly to one person and then the whole audience. The audience has some comic moments with him until he goes to the Cratchit house, and then we discover how Scrooge has been turned into a better man by learning from the past, present, and future on how to gain redemption at last. In this role, he delivers a powerhouse performance as he convinces the audience of his transformation into a more kindly, jovial man. Bravo on a job very well done.
The first ghost to scare the audience is Rodney Witherspoon as Jacob Marley. He scares not only Scrooge but the entire audience with his emphatic delivery of his lines. He crawls out of hell while bringing other cast members out as tormentors to prod Scrooge into believing what he’s warning him about. Rodney then forces Scrooge to listen to him and brings him a dire warning to mend his ways while he rails at the curmudgeon. He also plays the Royal Exchange, who goes to the funeral unless lunch is provided, and Martin, the kindly husband of Scrooge’s niece, Fred.
The three ghosts are excellently played in this version. Jeff Church is as strong as Christmas Past as he enters from the fireplace clad in a white tuxedo suit and white top hat. He chastises him as they look back on how he enjoyed Christmas as a boy with his sister, Fan, and at the Fezziwig’s party when he fell in love with Belle. In this version, Scrooge doesn’t want to say his lines, so Jeff says them as Scrooge and returns to the Ghost voice. His entrance as the ghost is stunning as he brings Scrooge on a journey to watch the scenes of his past. Jeff delivers a gut-wrenching revelation before he departs the scene. He also has the comic part of Topper, who sings and dances while cracking jokes and then turns scary as the Ghost Yet to Come.
Mauro also does an excellent job as Child Scrooge in the schoolmaster scene, while Lou Wechsler does a splendid turn as Fan when she rescues her brother from the school to bring him home. (Eleanor Pinsker plays the role in the Green cast.) This is where Scrooge’s hard veneer starts to melt. Sara States plays Belle with a great deal of warmth and charm. She gives the needed pathos in the breakup segment. Once again, Mauro is excellent as Young Man Scrooge as he captures the joie de vivre in the Fezziwig dance, loving attitude with Belle and the callousness later on.
The levity in the show is provided by Richard Donelly and Jackie Davis, the two solicitors who get browbeaten by Scrooge in the first scene and try to run away from him comically in the last scene. Richard also plays Mr. Fezziwig and is an expert at this comic role. Richard leaves you laughing merrily at his jolly behavior as this kindly benefactor of the past Christmas celebrations. The dance number in this scene to “I Saw Three Ships” is excellently executed by the cast members. They do a fantastic dance that is stunning to behold while the drummer, Scrooge, and other cast members join in on playing the pans on stage. Sustained applause occurred here, which stopped the show in its tracks.
Taavon Gamble is fabulous as Christmas Present. His entrance has to be seen to be believed when he enters with his assistant, played by Nina Giselle, who writes down every criticism of Scrooge and utters them out loud, insulting him thoroughly. The spirit spreads Christmas cheer and teaches Scrooge how to be kinder to his fellow man. He asks where Ebenezer Scrooge is and, picks on several men in the audience and also cajoles him as they observe the suffering around them. Taavon brings a lot of joy to the audience in this role. Alison Russo is also terrific as Fred. She brings a great deal of energy to this role. She displays her expertise by singing “Spread a Little Happiness” with his castmates in the dinner scene. Her joy at her uncle’s transformation is marvelous and heartfelt as they hug before the end of the show. Jeff as Christmas Future frightens the audience with his ominous presence and demeanor while showing Scrooge, the Old Joe scene, and Tiny Tim’s death.
Kevin Patrick Martin plays the likable Bob Cratchit excellently. He has some comic moments early on in the show and in the first family scene but displays his dramatic acting chops with the death of Tim sequence. His gut-wrenching performance leaves the audience in tears at his heartfelt portrayal. Mrs. Cratchit is played beautifully by Jenna Lea Scott, who also displays poignancy in this scene. She also gives Scrooge a piece of her mind at the show’s end. Phyllis Kaye plays the schoolteacher in the past, while the talented children are played by Grace Perkins as Martha, Kelser Michael as Peter, and Olivia Jarbadan as Belinda. Luca Anderson does a marvelous job as Tiny Tim as he tugs on your heartstrings. In this version, Tiny Tim is neurodivergent, which means he has a different mental or neurological function from what is considered normal. The Cratchit family not having the money to care for Tim in the future might lead him into dire circumstances. Luca delivers his lines like an old pro. (Danasia Scurry, Philip Vaile-Lucason, Hadley Boyle, and Riley Hewes play Martha, Peter, Belinda, and Tim at alternating performances.)
Richard does triple duty in the show and is a hoot as Old Joe in the counting-house sequence with Sara States as the Charwoman, Phyllis Kaye as Mrs. Dilber, the undertaker, and is comically portrayed by Jackie Davis. A poor man and wife, played by Taavon and Alison, have a comic scene when they learn of Scrooge’s death, while at the start of the show, Alison, Nina, and Rodney play the three Solicitors hilariously, winning many laughs. The Turkey girl wins much laughter, too, and is well-played by Lily Altomari, who also displays her strong singing voice throughout the show. (Eleanor Brown-Araujo plays it at alternating shows) The incredible multistoried set is by Michael McGarty, and the gorgeous costumes are by Toni Spadafora-Sadler. The expert lighting is by James Horban, the terrific sound design is by Peter Sasha Hurowitz, and the voice and dialect coach is by Becky Gibel. So, for an annual season treat that the audience desperately needs this year after the turmoil, unrest, uncertainty, and madness nowadays, be sure to catch “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep. For tickets, go to their box office or their website trinityrep.com This fantastic rendition of this well-known tale will leave you not only laughing merrily but will definitely help you get into the Christmas spirit which we all desperately need this year. Stephen Thorne has done a phenomenal job in his adaptation of this script and brings light, joy, and happiness back to Trinity Rep once again.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (9 November to 31 December)
Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St, Providence, RI
1(401)351-4242
