An upside down review
by Michael Dresdner
The Scrooge! cast. photos by DK Photography
The set was amazing, to begin with. There is no doubt
whatever about that.
See what I did there? I stole (and altered) the first two
lines from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the endlessly performed and frequently
re-imagined story that is the basis for Scrooge! The Musical now playing at
Tacoma Little Theatre.
Granted, the first thing you see in any play when the lights
go up is the set, but this time the set is so amazingly good that it set a high
bar for the rest of the production. You know how some people go to see The
Nutcracker each year in part because of the amazing Maurice Sendak sets and
costumes? Well, I’d suggest that similarly, TLT keep this set. It’s that good.
I’ll get to the rest of the production, which, incidentally,
was chock-a-block with talent, in a minute, but bear with me. This set,
designed by Blake York and ably abetted with set dressing and props by Jeffery
Weaver (who also did wigs) and painting by Jen Ankrum, was a marvel not only
for how incredibly good it looked in every iteration, but also how cleverly it
morphed. With actors very adroitly moving and rotating its various parts, it
becomes about a dozen brilliantly convincing locations, some with wonderful
special effects built in.
I won’t say this is the first time I’ve seen a set outshine
actors, but it is the first time a set was so good it gave really good actors a
run for their money. In the past I’ve both praised and dinged Blake York for
his varied sets, but this set a new high point for his talent. You really must
see it.
Tight on its heels was the outstanding musical direction and
keyboard work of Terry O’Hara and his quartet, filled out by Roxane Hreha,
David Stedman, and Cal Neal. They did a superb job with the music, such as it
is. More on that later as well.
And since we’re doing this review upside down, with
production values lauded first, I’ll go on to say that the choreography (Alisa
Merino with dance captain Julia Luna), lighting (Pavlina Morris), sound (Darren
Hembd), and costumes (Michele Graves) were a worthy accompaniment to said set.
Now, I could nit-pick and point out that Bob Cratchit’s costume – indeed his
whole family’s garb – was way too new and flashy for one so poor, but that’s a minor
point.
And what of the cast? Quite good, as a matter of fact. The
singing, dancing, and acting were all well above average, right across the
board.
L to R: Jeff Kingsbury, Chris Serface
I could call out some of my favorites – Chris Serface, who
was having way too much fun and was therefore quite enjoyable as Christmas
Present; Derek Hall’s Bob Cratchit, shining both in song and acting; the
charming and acrobatic Steven Walker – but that would detract from the rest of
the cast. The truth is, from the lead, Jeff Kingsbury as Scrooge, down to the
bit parts, this was an ensemble cast in the very best sense; they were all good
enough to deserve mention, but blended so well as to not demand it. In short,
it was a very good cast, top to bottom, individually and collectively.
L to R: Audrey Montague, Derek Hall, Harrison Devlin
Ok, so let’s recap; great set, great production values,
wonderful actors, choreography, musicians. A perfect musical, right?
Not quite.
This is one case where the property itself pales in the face
of so much talent both on and off stage, and no amount of effort can make up
for a completely forgettable musical.
Act one, which is a grinding one and a half hours long, was
often tedious (act two had much better pacing,) but that’s the least of the
play’s problems. It’s a trite, gap-laden retelling of a story that, fortunately,
everyone already knows (you’ll notice I did not even bother to give you a plot
synopsis) with music that at best is uninspired and derivative. It’s songs
sounded more alike than different, and none of them rose above the ranks of
‘failed show tune.’
Now, before you Scrooge! loyalists jump down my throat, stop
and think about how easy it is to plant an earworm from any great musical. Why?
Because the songs are inspired and divinely crafted. Here, I’ll prove it by
planting a few earworms with just first lines. “All I want is a room
somewhere,” “Maria; I just met a girl named Maria,” “Seventy six trombones led
the big parade.”
See? Now try that with this musical.
I’m not saying the music isn’t pleasant. It is, but these
musical offerings are to worthy composition what doggerel verse is to real
poetry. I’m sorry, but that’s my call.
Nevertheless, there are people who love all iterations of A
Christmas Carol, and for them, or anyone who appreciates the craft of theatre,
this is worthy of its holiday time slot. Forget the lame music and go see this
excellent production of an embarrassingly middling musical for its numerous
merits. You’ll probably like it as much as the opening night audience, who gave
it a standing ovation.
Scrooge! The Musical
Dec. 5 to Dec. 28, 2014
