CHICAGO—The curtain has gone up on the Goodman Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” and once again, the Chicago theater company proves that one can never get too much of a good thing. This year’s presentation of Charles Dickens’s classic is as good as it gets.
Although this holiday theatrical tradition is now in its 48th year, it’s a tribute to the Goodman that those who have seen the show before will appreciate its new insights. Newcomers will be dazzled by the presentation of exhilarating stagecraft. From kids to adults, everyone will enjoy the special effects and yet will be moved by the profound humanity of the Christmas story.
Good Ole England
The play, which Tom Creamer adapted from Dickens’s 1843 novella, begins as it always does with a yesteryear British setting. It takes place against a Victorian English backdrop, with scenic design by Todd Rosenthal, exquisite lighting by Keith Parham, and period costumes by Heidi Sue McMath. Together, they transform the Goodman stage into a London street filled with peddlers in bright winter coats, selling turkeys and chestnuts as they rub shoulders with carolers singing Christmas favorites.The focus soon changes when we are introduced to Ebenezer Scrooge, the man at the center of Dickens’s tale of salvation and redemption. When the English novelist wrote “Christmas Carol” in a little over a month, he meant it to be a ghost story that would put the fear of God into imperfect creatures. He also meant it as means to provide a path for people to change their lives.
As always, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge allows his clerk to suffer cold in the ill-heated office rather than to waste money on “too much” coal. Scrooge then refuses to donate to a cause for those in need, and finally ends up turning down his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner with a “Bah Humbug”!
Once it’s apparent that Scrooge is a mean-spirited man who believes the key to happiness is hoarding money, the drama takes viewers on a fascinating adventure. Scrooge’s partner, dead-as-a-doornail Jacob Marley (Daniel Jose Molina) pops up from a fiery hearth to warn Scrooge of the ghosts that will soon arrive. Scrooge scoffs at this until the Ghost of Christmas Past (Lucky Stiff) shows up to take him on a journey to his youth, where he is exposed to the errors of his past.
His journey continues with the Ghost of Christmas Present (Bethany Thomas), who takes Scrooge to the home of his employee, Bob Cratchit (John Hudson Odom) and his family. There he sees Tiny Tim (Ella Boparai). Scrooge’s eyes are opened and his heart softens. He finally comes to a reckoning with his past ways when the Ghost of Christmas Future (Molina) appears. That’s the mesmerizing scene of the play in which Scrooge sees a frightening future unless he opens his heart.
Elegantly directed by Malkia Stampley, the show offers a fantastic experience due to the terrific portrayal of Scrooge by Christopher Donahue. An inspired choice to play Scrooge, he alternates between playing the curmudgeon as a comedic figure and then turns to a tragic being whom we pity but root for at the same time.
In addition to Dickens’s timeless and inspiring story, other aspects of this production make the show engaging and charming. Throughout the production, we’re treated to joyous songs by musicians (Gregory Hirte, Brian A. Goodwin, Elleon Dobias, and Benjamin Heppner) that get us into an exultant mood.
Furthermore, the climactic moment in the show is Scrooge’s conversion. The audience sees Donahue’s Scrooge go from a mean, hunched over, unhappy man to one jumping for joy with Christmas benevolence and goodwill for all. We feel the redemptive power of the change in a human soul, which is always a miracle, especially at Christmas.
The show comes to a triumphant finale when Tiny Tim says, “May God Bless us everyone.” The performers come together to sing Christmas carols. At this moment, it’s impossible to not be moved by the overflowing holiday emotion. Goodman’s production of “A Christmas Carol” has become so much part of Christmas in Chicago that the blessed meaning of the holiday would not be the same without it. If you can only see one show this time of year, let it be this “Carol.”
Those who have seen the show before will appreciate its new insights and newcomers will be dazzled by the presentation of exhilarating stagecraft. From kids to adults, everyone will enjoy the special effects of the presentation, and yet will be moved by the profound humanity of the Christmas story.
