Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Welcome to the bigger and better 48th Annual “A Christmas Carol” by Trinity Rep Company, which, due to renovations, has moved on down two streets in Providence, RI, to a larger theater, Providence Performing Arts Center. This venue allows everything on a much grander scale, including sets, special effects, and audience capacity. However, performances have been limited this year due to a National touring show that has already been booked at PPAC. Director Tatyana-Marie Carlo takes the helm of the show and overcomes them with her expert direction and adaptation of the script this year. She uses twelve adults and twelve children (two alternating casts of children) in her presentation. Carlo infuses them with the insight and energy to tackle these roles. He presents a very satisfying interpretation of this well-known show to help audiences capture the spirit of Christmas.
Carlo knows how to bring out the comic moments in this show, having directed the comic “Sueno” a couple of years ago, as well as the dramatic moments, having directed the powerful and insightful “La Broa” last season. She also adds some Rhode Islandisms to the script. This year, she cast veteran Trinity actress Anne Scurria as Ebenezer Scrooge. This is the fourth time Scurria has played this iconic role, but she has performed in over 100 shows at Trinity during these past 45 years. Scurria’s first show at Trinity was in “A Christmas Carol” in 1979, and the last time she played Scrooge was in 2002. She delivers a multilayered performance in this role running the gamut of emotions, whether reliving the past, examining the present, and being warned of a dire future if the miser doesn’t reform her ways. Scurria’s interactions with her cast mates enthrall the audience, even cracking the hardest hearts of unbelievers in the crowd. She delivers a tour-de-force performance in this role and is onstage almost the whole show. Scrooge’s transformation sequence is remarkable to behold, and a great deal of humor shines through.
Musical director and orchestrator Garrett Taylor brings new and powerful energy to the musical score this year. Marley’s deathbed entrance to “Ebenezer, I’m Your Friend” is astounding, as is the end of Act 1 with “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” delivering a powerhouse, jazzy feel that brightens up the show wonderfully with cast members dancing with Christmas gifts (although the ‘Dies Ire” section of the first number needs some tightening up). Mauro Hantman, who has been at Trinity since 1999, tackles two different roles, Jacob Marley and Old Joe. In the former role, Marley passes away onstage and then tries to scare Scrooge into becoming a better person or suffer his fate, and in the latter role, Joe is gleeful at collecting the dead man’s belongings to make a profit from them. Hantman handles both roles with ease. Last year he played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Choreographer Taavon Gamble creates splendid dance numbers to entrance one and all and plays the jolly Mr. Fezziwig who knew how to celebrate the Christmas season for all his employees. Director Carlo casts three women to play the Ghosts of the Past, Present, and Yet to Come, and they do so marvelously. Hannah Spacone plays Past and gives her a backbone to stand up to Scrooge’s constant complaints, reprimanding him with a sharp tongue. At the same time, Nora Eschenheimer as Present, bedazzles and cajoles Scrooge to get into the Christmas spirit or else. Their line delivery in these two roles is right on the money. Hannah also plays Fred’s feisty wife, Lucy, while Nora also plays Young Scrooge in the past sequence and delivers an emotion-packed performance during the breakup scene with Benedict Belle. Annmarie Kelly as Yet to Come delivers the ultimate warning to the miser to reform or suffer a terrible fate.
Other talented performers rounding out this cast do admirable jobs, too. Tobias Wilson plays Fred, the nephew who loves Christmas and livens up the proceedings. Alex LeBlanc plays Mr. Dilber, Scrooge’s Charman, who has comic lines with the miser in Act 1 and poignant ones in Act 2, as well as delivering a strong performance as Benedict Belle, whom Scrooge loved in the past. Jenna Lea Scott plays Mrs. Benedict Belle and Mrs. Cratchit. She delivers the goods in both roles and gives the Tiny Tim death scene the pathos it calls for. Shaffany Terrell tackles the role of the jolly Mrs. Fezziwig. Katsuto Sakogashira as Bob Cratchit handles the comic side of the role but needs to give him more strength and depth in the serious scenes.
One of the new things added to the show is a Reader who narrates the proceedings. Rudy Cabrera plays this role wonderfully all night long, but Carlo also has a child play the young reader and doesn’t have the child read anything until they become the Turkey kid at the end of the show. It probably would have been better to give some lines to the younger reader in some of the scenes with the older reader. She also uses all the children in many group scenes throughout the show. The children on press night were Nicholas Shay as Tiny Tim, Martha, Olivia Jarbadan, Peter, Brandon Lopes, Belinda, Isabella Gonzalez, Cameron Blake Miller, Girl Scrooge and Fan and Firo Olivia Ridge as the young reader and Turkey Kid. Firo’s facial expressions were excellent while listening to the older reader and her interpretation of the Turkey kid was fabulous. A word of praise to scenic designer Michael McGarty for creating the enormous two-story set that must be taken down for the touring show, “Hamilton” and put back together again. The elaborate and gorgeous costumes are by Amanda Downing Carney. Especially impressive are the gown for Christmas Past and the comic outfit for Christmas Present. Lighting is by Dawn Chiang with sound by Germain Martinez, the stunt coordinator, Mark Rose keeps the cast on point with their clever stunts and Rebecca Gibel did an excellent job as the dialect and vocal coach. Hard working stage manager Anais Bustos keeps the whole cast and show running smoothly in this enormous theatre. So, for an early Christmas gift for the entire family, be sure to catch a new spin on this old tale by Trinity Rep at PPAC this year. It will definitely get you into the holiday spirit. Trinity’s website is trinityrep.com
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (23 November-4 December & 26 to 29 December) Trinity Repertory Company @Providence Performing Arts Center
PPAC, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI
1(401)421-PLAY
