BWW REVIEWS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, An Annual Special at San Pedro Playhouse

San Antonio has many holiday traditions: the Ford Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony, candy-filled holiday piñatas, Latin holiday music, the pageantry and traditional celebration of the Christmas spirit in Market Square, the lights at the University of the Incarnate Word, and now "A Christmas Carol, the Musical" at San Pedro Playhouse.

Last year, the San Pedro Playhouse chose to do a new-to-San Antonio version of "A Christmas Carol". Audiences raved at the beautiful set, the outstanding cast, and the feel of something so magical. After it's initial success, the San Pedro Playhouse decided to bring back "A Christmas Carol, the Musical" annually.

"A Christmas Carol" is the age-old Dickens story about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who keeps to himself and wishes for all those who celebrate Christmas to be "boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart". After an unsettling visit with the ghost of his one-time business partner Jacob Marley, Ebenezer spends the rest of Christmas Eve with three more ghosts: the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, with each one teaching him something new about his own life and the lives of those around him. You all know the story.
It's the same ol' story in "A Christmas Carol, the Musical", which boasts music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Ahrens and Mike Ockrent. The production was originally produced with a cast of 70+ at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in December of 1994 and every year after that for ten years, and it ultimately resulted in a made-for-TV film starring Kelsey Grammar as the miser.

The San Pedro Playhouse production has a cast of about thirty - virtually everyone, except for the miser himself, plays multiple roles. Byrd Bonner is a delightfully charming and perfectly unpleasant Ebenezer Scrooge. He also played the role last year at The Playhouse, and if it's possible, he's even "better". Joining Bonner on stage, and also returning for the second time as the Ghost of Christmas Present is Heather Kelley, whose stunning and rich soprano voice adds warmth to a role that is often portrayed by a child or, as the novel describes, a lit candle. Kelley's ghost spends the most time with Scrooge, showing him a variety of memorable scenes from his past, including one where his father is thrown in jail, leaving his mother to care for her two young children alone; a scene where a lonely teenage Scrooge sends a letter home to his sister, Fan; the lavish annual Christmas ball hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig, played with wit and vivacity by David O. Davila and Ashley Mitchell; and finally, a dramatic scene in which Scrooge's fiancée, perfectly performed with grace and elegance by Crystal Gulley, gives him back his engagement ring so that he can have the one thing that he truly loves: gold, followed by the death of his only friend, Jacob Marley. Typically, this show is intermission-less, but The Playhouse decided to divide the show into two acts, and that happened here.

SkudR Jones also returns to the production again as the Ghost of Christmas Present. His show-stopping number "Abundance Charity" opens up Act 2 with a wonderfully fun and somewhat "futuristic" (for the Victorian period, that is) tap ensemble. What's that you say? Tapping in "A Christmas Carol"? Petra Pearce, who choreographed the production this year, but, with permission, used much of last year's choreography from Gloria Liu, has done a bang up job this year. The tap number is a fun moment and fits "like a glove" with the Ghost of Christmas Present. The role is always jovial, and it's clear that Jones is having fun with it, as he tells the platter girls to "work it" whilst they strut across the stage Vegas showgirl-style, and even cartwheels to bring on his tappers. In the next scene, which is to be taken a bit more serious than the previous, Present shows Scrooge a touching scene at the Cratchit house. Tiny Tim, played with charisma by Christopher Miller, sings his cares away as he looks out the window at the world around him, and asks God to bless Uncle Scrooge. Simultaneously, Scrooge's nephew Fred, and his family, say their Christmas blessing and mock Fred's uncle, all-the-while wondering why they continue to invite him to dinner, year-after-year. The scene comes to life with Pearce's choreography as the different classes of Londoners flood the streets, singing of the joy of Christmas together.

Finally, it is time for the Ghost of Christmas Future, played for the second year by Lindsey Van de Kirk. Van de Kirk is initially seen throughout the show as a blind old hag, asking Scrooge to spare her a bit of change. In the future scene, however, she takes on a much darker persona as she resembles death in a shroud of dark fabric and glowing eyes, and is lifted about twelve feet above Scrooge. From the audience perspective, this scene is wonderfully frightening. The ensemble surrounds Future wearing monk-like robes and carrying tombstones, while vivid scenes of the future are shown: one clump of men cares not for the man who has just died; another greedily sells his worldly possessions; and a solemn moment with Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit say their goodbyes to their little child, Tiny Tim. It's at this moment that Scrooge finally realizes what he must do to change the future.

After the curtain call, the full cast sings one last song, "God Bless Us Everyone". It's a touching moment and worth staying around for.  There are eight more performances left of "A Christmas Carol, the Musical" - this weekend at 8pm on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday at 2:30pm, and the following Saturday and Sunday at the same times, along with three performances during Christmas week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7pm. Call (210) 733-7258 or visit them online at www.sanpedroplayhouse.com to purchase tickets.

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