Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at B St. Theatre Brings Contemporary Fun to a Classic

It’s time again for a favorite holiday tradition – seeing the various Christmas shows that Sacramento has to offer. At the top of my list every year is A Christmas Carol. Dickens’s classic tale of avarice is one of the most produced works during the holidays, but few are like the version that is being offered at the B St. Theatre through December 29th. The world premiere of Sam Kebede’s adaptation features just three actors, original music, and some unique ghosts.

Dave Pierini directs this amusing and interactive interpretation. Peter Story is Scrooge, disgustingly greedy and rightfully perplexed (to our delight) when he is visited by Marley (the Jamaican Bob version) and some peculiar ghosts, all played by Rob Karma Robinson and Hunter Hoffman. The main thread of the story is the same: Scrooge is a selfish taskmaster who treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, terribly, and is destined for a miserable afterlife if he doesn’t change his ways. He is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who give him glimpses into his wrongdoings and offer him a chance at redemption. Instead of the typical terrifying spirits, Kebede has turned them into modernized comedians. One is a very charmingly bad magician, one is a cowboy, and one is a disembodied voice.

While I did feel a pang of nostalgia for the spooky Christmas ghosts of old, these were a welcome change. Flawless performances by Story, Robinson, and Hoffman are enhanced by the obvious fact that they are having fun, and their enthusiasm is infectious. Local nods (Corti Bros., Patrick Mulvaney, UC Davis) and audience participation add to the deliciously intimate feeling that we’re all sharing the secret of Sacramento’s treasures, of which the B St. Theatre is inarguably one. The actors even cast an audience member as Tiny Tim, so be sure to know his most famous line!

A Christmas Carol plays at the B St. Theatre through December 29th. Tickets may be purchased online at BStreetTheatre.org, at the Box Office at 2700 Capitol Avenue, or by telephone at (916) 443-5300.

Photo credit: Rudy Meyers 

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