'A Civil War Christmas' Takes Aim at Scrooge

A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration                                                                    

by Paula Vogel

Directed by Jessica Thebus; Music supervised, arranged, and orchestrated by Daryl Waters; Music Direction, Andrew Resnick; Scenic Design, Dan Ostling; Costume Design, Miranda Hoffman; Lighting Design, T.J. Gerckens; Sound Design, Ben Emerson; Production Stage Manager, Gail P. Luna; Stage Manager, Leslie Sears

CAST: Uzo Aduba, Chris Bannow, Jason Bowen, Gilbert Glenn Brown, Ken Cheeseman, Ed Hoopman, Karen MacDonald, DeLance Minefee, Jacqui Parker, Stephen Russell, Molly Schreiber, Alanna T. Logan, Hyacinth Tauriac; Student Ensemble: Aaron Parker Fouhey, Alicia Lyn Hunt, Sarajane Mullins, Blake Pfeil, Rebekah Vega Romera

Performances through December 13 at Huntington Theatre Company, Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston                                                                                           Box Office 617-266-0800 or www.huntingtontheatre.org

A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration, Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel's new play at the Huntington Theatre, is an uplifting, rich representation of the diverse customs and meanings of the holiday. Reducing it to its simplest theme, it illustrates in traditional songs and story that "the gladness of your heart is the greatest gift of all." This distinctly homespun work is tailor-made for this Huntington season that focuses on American stories by American writers as it delves into one of the darkest periods of our national history, illuminating it with the warm glow of the spirit of Christmas.

Inspired by the idea of creating a new classic in lieu of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, in 1997 Vogel drew an outline with a crayon on a paper tablecloth and took the next nine years to do the research, finally writing the text in 2006. It is no wonder that the process was lengthy; the finished product of A Civil War Christmas follows four plotlines and employs more than two dozen actors and actresses playing several dozen characters and animals. Other than a few featured performers, it is somewhat of an understatement to say that you can't tell The Players without a program. In addition to playing multiple roles, some of the cast members also serve as musicians and some as narrators as Vogel utilizes a storytelling technique to set up the scenes throughout. Normally, I am not a fan of such exposition, but here it provides a running historical commentary, as well as clarifies things that should not have been muddled in the first place.

The play is set on Christmas Eve, 1864, in and around Washington, DC. President Abraham Lincoln (Ken Cheeseman), his wife Mary Todd Lincoln (Karen MacDonald), and members of his cabinet figure prominently in the central plotline. Decatur Bronson is an African-American Union soldier (Gilbert Glenn Brown) consumed by thoughts of his wife who went missing from their home earlier in the war. Hannah (Uzo Aduba) and her little girl Jessa (Alanna T. Logan at this performance) are freed slaves seeking sanctuary from the White House. A 13-year old boy named Raz (Molly Schreiber) sneaks away from home to join the Army of the Confederacy. Intermingled are fictional characters, as well as other historical notables, including John Wilkes Booth, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Walt Whitman, Clara Barton, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Elizabeth Keckley, to name a few.

With so many along for the ride, it is difficult to get more than a cursory glance at the role each played in the broader history. In terms of acting and singing, the cast is first-rate across the board and Director Jessica Thebus uses the whole theatre to immerse the audience in the world of the play. Stellar performances by Jacqui Parker as Keckley, seamstress and confidante to Mrs. Lincoln, Brown, Aduba, and MacDonald breathe vivid life into their portrayals. Parker exudes warmth and dignity as the former slave who may be Mrs. Lincoln's only friend, yet remains mindful of her place. She quietly bears the suffering of losing her only son in the war and Parker shows the grace and compassion with which she lives her life. When she opens her mouth in song, the notes flow out like smooth butterscotch.

Brown and Aduba also impress with their vocals. He has a deep, powerful resonance that is made to order for the traditional music sung here.  If you had the pleasure of seeing Aduba as the title character in Dessa Rose at New Rep in 2008, you will remember the emotional power in her voice. Well-known to Boston audiences, MacDonald's experience and intelligence inform her interpretation of Mrs. Lincoln, showing her to be both silly and sad, implying that she may have been bipolar and not merely depressed. Cheeseman is a warm and humane commander-in-chief, as well as one heck of a fine equine impressionist. As the assassin Booth and several others, Ed Hoopman is ubiquitous and uniformly strong. Likewise, DeLance Minefee, who is especially sympathetic as the dying soldier Moses Levy, and Chris Bannow, who exhibits the dichotomy of a religious man seeking to fulfill his duty to his country as an enlistee while remaining true to his beliefs.

As usual and as expected at the Huntington, the production values are strong. Up lighting mimics the reflection of the flames on their faces when soldiers sit around a campfire. Miranda Hoffman's costumes are beautifully rendered and bring us back to the Civil War era. Some scenes include furnishings pulled in on sleds, such as Keckley's parlor, but scenic design is minimal. The White House is suggested by a fancy chandelier to set it apart from the exposed brick wall in the rear and the soiled, tattered American flag hanging over the centerpiece wooden scaffolding where much of the action takes place.

Although it has too many messengers clamoring to deliver its message, A Civil War Christmas maintains a steady drumbeat of hope, resilience, and transformation for its characters and the struggling nation. In the end, it suggests that even the hope of peace is sweeter than peace itself. That is a worthy maxim for any season, in any century.

  

The Huntington is welcoming over 30 choirs to the Boston University Theatre to perform a half hour prior to the curtain times of each performance of A Civil War Christmas. If you would like to see the entire roster click here.

Photos by T. Charles Erickson (Jacqui Parker and Karen MacDonald)