Dickens, but with pizazz
by Michael Dresdner
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| L to R: Emily Newland, Kaden Stanford, Olivia Zamira, Eva Hay, (Jeremy Lynch, Evie Merrill, Kenya Adams. All photos by Dennis K Photography |
I rather suspect that Scrooge! The Musical, now playing at
Tacoma Little Theatre, was created to add some welcome lightness and fun to the
admittedly dreary and somewhat overdone Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” and
in this case, it certainly does.
You know the story, right? Uber-miser Ebeneezer Scrooge
(Andrew Fry) is visited in turn by ghosts of his departed business partner Jacob
Marley (Joseph Woodland), and the ghosts of
Christmas past (Kathy Kluska), present (Chris Serface), and future (Alan
Plaster.) Through the miracle of fiction, they manage to change the heart and
mind of the old skinflint and make him do a total about face.
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| L to R: Joseph Woodland, Andrew Fry |
A very talented trio consisting of director Micheal O’Hara,
musical director Zachary Kellogg, and choreographer Eric Clausell molded a huge
and largely youthful cast into a most impressive ensemble. They set the tone
right away with a powerful opening number that fills the hall with richly
blended voices, along with often surprisingly intricate dance numbers. Better
yet, they repeat the experience each time the chorus takes the stage.
Now and again one of them gets the chance to step out of the
crowd and show us both great stage presence and equally fine vocal and dancing abilities.
Some examples? Ok, just a few – it’s a large and able cast, after all. There’s Isabel
(Allie Watkins), Ebenezer’s lost love with her beautiful and obviously trained
vioce, Bob Cratchit (Jeremy Lynch), another finely trained singer with a most
pleasant stage demeanor, the limber and energetic Tom Jenkins (Liam
Loughridge), Mr. Fezziwig (George McClure who is way too spry for one his age,
dammit,) The Ghost of Christmas Present (Chris Serface, the theatre’s managing
artistic director who is also an outstanding actor who fills the room to
bursting with his voluminous and thoroughly infectious ebullience,) and
smallest, but certainly not least, the adorably winning Tiny Tim (Evie Merrill.)
One gets the sense that there are probably quite a few more shining stars
tucked away in that ensemble waiting for their shot.
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| L to R: Andrew Fry, Chris Serface |
It’s getting a bit tired to write this again and again, but
as usual, they were backed by the regular and consistently excellent production
team. Blake York’s initially stark set, a scrim-backed silhouette of the inside
of a huge clock face, boasted four cleverly hidded doors for egress of both
props and people. Back lit with changing scenery for locations, it also did a
great job of creating starkly crisp shadows, particularly of Scrooge, when
front lit. Scene changes had wonderful set pieces – street carts, a four poster
bed, and Cratchit’s dining room, to name a few -- that slid silently and hermetically
on and off stage.
An enormous array of excellent period costumes by Michelle
Graves, with wigs and hair, by Jeffery Weaver, who is also the adroit props
master, added to the rich panoply. Ditto for the varied and well though out
lighting design by Niclas Olson, abetted by follow spot operators Kerry
Bringman and Ku’uleialoha Hoapili. In this case, the music was “packaged,”
meaning there is no live orchestra and the actors have to match pace and pitch
with a pre-recorded score, a much more challenging situation than having a
skilled conductor massaging the tempo and volume to those on stage.
Finally, one must acknowledge the Herculean task of keeping
such a complex and lively array running smoothly. Kudos for that go to stage
manager Nena Curley and ASM Courtney Rainer
All in all, there’s a whole lot of talent and even more
energy flooding that stage for a Christmas offering that is decidedly more
engaging and pleasant than the old Dickens standby that spawned it. You’d do
well to consider spending a couple of hours with this delightful group during
the holiday season.
Scrooge! The Musical
Dec. 7th to 30th, 2018
Tacoma Little Theatre
