Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at The Phoenix Theatre Company
The production runs through December 28th at The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Dr. Stacie J. and Richard J. Stephenson Theatre.
The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL arrives as both a tribute and a celebration: a tribute to the late Alan Ruch, whose melodic and heartfelt score anchors the show, and a celebration of community, renewal, and theatrical craft. With orchestrations by Craig Bohmler, music direction by Kevin Robert White, and direction by Matthew Wiener, this revival carries both legacy and freshness. The show runs through December 28th in the Dr. Stacie J. and Richard J. Stephenson Theatre.
At its center is Rusty Ferracane’s Ebenezer Scrooge, a characterization that leans away from the archetype of the crusty misanthrope and toward a more nuanced figure. He remains stingy, brusque, and dismissive of humanity’s needs, yet he is endowed with a surprising agility and flashes of wry wit. This Scrooge is less an immovable curmudgeon than a man whose miserliness is a brittle shell rather than an immutable identity. Ferracane’s performance allows the eventual transformation to feel earned rather than inevitable. His scenes with Bob Cratchit (a gentle and grounded Matravius Avent) underscore the tension between callousness and conscience that drives the narrative forward.
Visually, the production is a glittering spectacle. The design team deploys bold color, sumptuous textures, and clever stagecraft to create a Dickensian world that feels at once familiar and fantastical. Lauran Stanis’s choreography animates the large ensemble with buoyant movement, yielding energetic tableaux that heighten the festive tone.
Among the supporting cast, several performances stand out. Johanna Carlisle-Zepeda’s Ghost of Christmas Past arrives like a snowborne apparition: regal, shimmering, and musically crystalline. Geoff Belliston’s Ghost of Christmas Present, quite literally springing forth from Scrooge’s bed in a burst of color, brings a harlequin vibrancy to the role that infuses the act with warmth and humor. In stark contrast, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, rendered through a haunting projection, casts a looming presence reminiscent of a shadowed, Vader-like figure.
The Fezziwig scenes provide some of the production’s most exuberant moments, led by D. Scott Withers, whose portrayal of the jovial patriarch is full-throated, jubilant, and irresistibly magnetic. He is well matched by Shani Barrett as Mrs. Fezziwig. In addition, Jane Bunting (Mrs. Cratchit), Trisha Ditsworth, and Brianna McClure contribute strong vocals that reinforce the production’s musical richness.
Ultimately, A CHRISTMAS CAROL succeeds as wholesome, energetic, celebratory entertainment. It is an accessible entry point for young audiences and a warmly nostalgic experience for adults. It honors tradition without becoming museum-bound, offering a polished and heartfelt seasonal production that reflects both the artistic legacy of its creators and the communal spirit of the holiday.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL runs through December 28th at The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Dr. Stacie J. and Richard J. Stephenson Theatre.
The Phoenix Theatre Company -- www.phoenixtheatre.com -- 1825 N Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ -- Box office: 602-254-2151
Photo credit to Brennen Russell: Rusty Ferracane
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