BWW Reviews: Timeless, Wonderful Holiday Classic - Guthrie's A CHRISTMAS CAROL

It's two-minutes to curtain on Wednesday's opening night performance of the Guthrie's annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and I'm running through a parking garage. Unfortunately, since the garage directly across the street doesn't accept credit cards, I'm forced to park down the block and run. This was certainly not how I anticipated the beginning of my evening.

A little cold and definitely winded, I make it up the enormous escalator just in time. Lucky for me, the show starts a couple minutes late since there were still quite a few people making their way down the aisle and to their respective seats. But as I'm sitting and looking around waiting for the show to start, I notice something...

Families. Lots and lots of families---and with young children.

What? Why? Don't these parents know this show is two-plus hours? Shouldn't these children be going to bed soon? It's still a school night.

While I'm quietly questioning the parental abilities of nearly everyone in the room, I suddenly realize there's nothing I can say---there's nothing anyone can say---that will make people stop seeing this beloved show no matter what night it's playing. It's a staple for theatre companies around the country because it's a solid. Who gets invited to see A CHRISTMAS CAROL and says, no? Nobody, that's who. This certainly isn't some avant-garde show, or subject matter worthy of a mature rating. This is a Christmas classic and once I realized that and got past my judgment of others (which is often hard to do), I was ready to sit back and just enjoy the remainder of my night---which turned out to be quite enjoyable.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, originally written Charles Dickens, is a classic story but surprisingly in the last few weeks, I've met quite a few people that have, "never heard of it." So for those people, here's how the story breaks down. Ebenezer Scrooge (J.C. Cutler) is a crotchety old man, who loves making people miserable-infamous for his famous catchphrase "bah humbug." This is particularly troublesome for his lone employee, Bob Cratchit (Kris L. Nelson), who only desires to spend Christmas with his family. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts; the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Tracey Maloney), Christmas Present (Robert O. Berhahl) and Christmas Future (Torsten Johnson). The spirits guide him though his life, showing him pleasant memories from his past, unfortunate truths from the present and the grim future should he continue living life the way he has been. It's simple, and there have been over 20 different film adaptations of this holiday favorite, so if this story has managed to escape you---I have to openly call your bluff or assume you've lived a very sad, and sheltered life under a rock.

Anyone who knows even one detail about me probably knows that I am an avid lover of the holiday season. I hate the cold weather that comes with it but that's another story. No matter how many times I've seen A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, Jingle All the Way staring none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger and yes, A Christmas Carol---I always watch them holding my breath, teary-eyed and with childlike enthusiasm because I love them. This production was no different.

The Guthrie presents an adaptation of the holiday-must by Crispin Whittell, and directed by Joe Chvala---it's pretty clear from the start why the people return year after year. It's quite the spectacle. Lights, music, special affects and a dash of heart---it has everything. J.C. Cutler gives the audience a fantastic Scrooge, who is grouchy, hilarious, and in the end quite loveable. Robert O. Berdahl is immediately a crowd favorite despite having very few lines as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Per usual the Fezziwig couple (Jay Albright & Suzanne Warmanen) are a bundle of laughs and quite the entertaining duo. A surprise character, whom I've never seen in this story, is Merriweather (Angela Timberman), Scrooge's housekeeper. Timberman's humor is dry, cynical and she has quite possibly some of the funniest moments in the show that occur with just one word. And finally, what can I say about the children except they are adorable.

The set designed by Walt Spangler is stunning. It has multiple levels, it moves, it spins, it's upstage one-minute and downstage the next. The costumes from Mathew J. LeFebvre are gorgeous and the detail on every piece is beautiful to the eye from every seat in the house.

While it is undeniably one of the best versions I've seen, I still had a few qualms with the show. For starters it's hard to hear---I knew they were singing or speaking but often times vocals disappeared for some reason or another. Also, with the amount of creativity showcased all-around, I was a bit disappointed to see that every ghost pretty much exited the same way---down the trap. I know it's difficult but I would love to see the Ghost of Christmas Past (Tracey Maloney), who floats so beautifully from above, exit with the same elegance. But maybe that's just me.

If corralling the whole family to see A CHRISTMAS CAROL is on your agenda this holiday season, you are certain to have a wonderful evening. You'll laugh, you might get a little weepy and you will definitely leave feeling full of holiday cheer. A CHRISTMAS CAROL isn't going to take you an emotional journey or leave you with a deep new understanding of the world but it's fun and that's enough for a Christmas lover like myself and most likely everyone else.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens, adapted by Crispin Whittell and directed by Joe Chvala plays now through December 29th at the Guthrie Theater.

Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis, 612.377.2224, guthrietheater.org.

Photo Credit: J.C. Cutler (Ebenezer Scrooge) in the Guthrie Theater's production of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, adapted by Crispin Whittell and directed by Joe Chvala with set design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Mathew J. LeFebvre and lighting design by Christopher Akerlind. Photo by Michael Brosilow