**** Highly Recommended I missed seeing the Goodman Theatre’s annual intro to the holiday season, A Christmas Carol, the last couple of years, so it was a definite joy to be back in that audience. Although the overall production remains the same, there are some changes – I loved Christopher Donahue in his first year as Scrooge and Kate Fry who stepped in as the Narrator. A note: Austin Tichenor steps in as Scrooge at ten performances. A Christmas Carol remains a holiday tradition for many families. The Goodman lobby, festive with decorations and a sparkling holiday shopping area, adds zing to the holiday spirit. Now in its 47th year, A Christmas Carol will put you in the holiday spirit with a fabulous cast, lavish sets and colorful period costumes. 4 Holiday Spotlights.
The curtain goes up and people are gathered on a snowy might. One by one people walk up to warm their hands by the fire, as several bring out musical instruments to play a tune while everyone sings a carol. The Narrator, Kate Fry, steps forward to announce that Marley is dead, dead as a doornail. After she spends some time wondering aloud why a doornail would be the death standard for nails, because surely coffin nails would be a better choice, she admits that that’s how it is written. Marley is still dead.
Ebenezer Scrooge (Donahue) hates Christmas. Happy people everywhere are getting on his last nerve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit (Anthony Irons), tries to put extra coal on the fire. People interrupt his workday to ask for donations for the poor! Insult to injury, his niece Frida (Dee Dee Batteast), delivers a Christmas wreath, a gift and an invitation to Christmas dinner. She really aggravates him by putting extra coal on the fire before laughing, shouting Merry Christmas, and whipping out the door. The last straw, Cratchit asks for a holiday with pay on Christmas day!
At home, Scrooge thinks he’s seeing things when his door knocker turns from a lion into a scary face with glowing eyes. In his bedroom, he thinks he hears a noise, but shrugs it off and goes to bed. Suddenly, there’s a very loud and annoying blast of sound accompanied by flashing lights as his former partner, Jacob Marley (William Dick), who’s been dead for seven years, appears to tell Scrooge to expect three ghostly visits.
Scrooge shrugs off Marley’s warning and goes back to bed. He’s just settled down when he’s rudely awakened by an annoyingly loud boom, and the exuberant Ghost of Christmas Past (Lucky Stiff) – who looks a lot like a hyper-active version of Pink with a crescent moon on her head – flies into Scrooge’s bedroom. She takes him back to the Christmas Eve when young Ebenezer (Henry Lombardo}, resigned to staying at school over the holidays, is surprised by sister Fan (Tafadzwa Diener) arriving to take him home – for good.
Ebenezer (Daniel José Molina), apprenticed to Mr. Fezziwig (Robert Schleifer), is so serious about his work he refuses to put it away until Dick Wilkins (Gregory Hirte) confiscates his ledgers. Fezziwig, using ASL - interpreted aloud by Max Fezziwig (Mark Bedard) – calls for dancing. Their guests share holiday greetings in several different languages. Ebenezer refuses to dance until he meets Belle (Amira Danan). They fall in love, but ultimately, Scrooge was more interested in making money with Marley (Arash Fakhrabadi) than he was in her love.
Back in his bedroom, Scrooge has just settled down, when he’s awakened again. His bed – in fact, his entire bedroom, is covered in greenery. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Bri Sudia), also covered in vines, drags a reluctant Scrooge off to see how other people celebrate.
At the Cratchit home – but of course Scrooge doesn’t know it’s the Cratchits – Mrs. C. (Susaan Jamshidi) is bustling around prepare for her family’s feast with the help of her children, Peter (Xavier Irons), Belinda (Isabel Ackerman), Emily (Viva Boresi) and Gregory (Henry Lombardo). Oldest Cratchit daughter Martha (Tafadzwana Diener), apprenticed to a milliner, arrives home to join the fun. When Bob and youngest child Tiny Tim (Ava Rose Doty), get home, they all sit down to enjoy a very scrawny bird for dinner. When Bob toasts Mr. Scrooge, Mrs. Cratchit has a hissy fit.
At niece Frida’s home, a game of charades keeps the guests occupied. When her husband Abe (Mark Bedard) and the other guests make fun of her uncle, she defends him.
As time runs out, the Ghost of Christmas present is fading. With a final warning to Scrooge, she lifts her cloak and reveals two small, starving children, Want (Ava Rose Doty) and Ignorance (Viva Boresi). The very creepy, extremely tall Ghost of Christmas Future (Amira Danan), who never says a word but gets his message across very clearly, directs Scrooge to a death watch and a couple of funerals.
Also appearing Christmas Eve: Ortle (Wai Yim), Crumb (Penelope Walker), Child in Doorway (Viva Boresi), Charwoman (Bri Sudia), Poulterer (Arash Fakhrabadi), Newspaper Seller (Henry Lombardo). Christmas Morning: Turkey Child (Xavier Irons).
Also appearing – The Past: Deer (Arash Fakhrabadi, Jalbelly Guzmán), School Official (Wai Yim), Pratt (Viva Boresi), School Children (Isabel Ackerman, Ava Rose Doty), Johnston (Henry Lombardo), Mrs. Alice Fezziwig (Penelope Walker), Fezziwig guests (Jazzlyn Luckett aderele, Dee Dee Batteast, William Dick, Tafwadzwa Diener, Jalbelly Guzmán, Anthony Irons, Susaan Jamshidi, Bri Sudia Wai Yim, Isabel Ackerman, Viva Boresi, Ava Rose Doty, Xavier Irons, Henry Lombardo).
Also appearing – The Present: Hat Seller (Jalbelly Guzmán), Chestnut Seller (Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele), Tree Seller (Wai Yim), Wreath Seller (Anthony Irons), Topper (William Dick), Philomena (Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele), Felicity (Jalbelly Guzmán), Catherine (Tafwadzwa Diener).
Also appearing – The Future: Mrs. Dilber (Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele), Undertaker (Arash Fakhrabadi), Old Joe (William Dick), Young Woman (Jalbelly Guzmán), Young Man (Gregory Hirte).
Kudos to the Musicians: Hillary Bayley (Violin), Brian Goodwin (Horn), Malcolm Ruhl (Accordion/Guitar/Concertina), Fiddle (Gregory Hirte).
A Christmas Carol runs through December 30th in the Albert Theatre, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago. Most reasonable parking option for the Goodman is the Government Center garage (entrance on Lake Street between LaSalle and Dearborn), online advance payment at www.interparkonline.com/goodmantheatre, $20.
Running time is 2 hours, 15 minutes with an intermission. Performances are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:00 pm; Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; Sundays, 2:00 & 7:00 pm. There is no evening performance on December 22nd. The is no performance on Christmas Day, December 25th, or Sunday, December 29th.
Additional performances are Tuesday, December 17th at 7:00 pm; Monday, December 23rd at 2:00 & 7:00 pm; Tuesday December 24th at 2:00 pm; Thursday, December 26th at 200 pm; and Monday, December 30th at 2:00 & 7:00 pm.
Accessible & Special Performances: Touch Tour & Audio Described Performance, Saturday, December 7th, 12:30 pm Touch Tour; 2:00 pm performance; ASL Interpreted Performance, Friday, December 13th at 7:30 pm; Open Captioned Performance, Sunday, December 15th at 2:00 pm; Spanish Captioned Performance, Sunday, December 15th at 7:00 pm.
Tickets range from $25-$149. FYI (312) 443-3800 or www.goodmantheatre.org.