If ever there was a time and place that needed “tidings of comfort and joy,” it is Christmas 2011 in America. In a bitterly divided country still struggling with the aftermath of an economic recession, the message of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is well worth examining. And the 2011 production at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre shines more brightly than ever.
Almost nothing evokes the spirit of Christmas more than Dickens’ brilliant play, and the KC Rep’s show (now in its 31st year) certainly knows how to push all our buttons, when it comes to promoting holiday cheer and generosity, as opposed to bitterness and miserly behavior.
Last year the show received a dramatic makeover from new director Kyle Hatley, involving a set rebuilt to showcase a revolving stage and many eye-popping special effects. (If Marley’s ghost’s startling appearance doesn’t give you chills, then you’ve got ice water instead of warm blood running through your veins.)
Gary Neal Johnson will knock your socks off with his rendition of Scrooge, and the amazing thing is that he’s been performing this role at the Rep for 11 years. A lesser actor might have gotten past-their-freshness date by now, but Johnson’s performance never seems stale. His sincerity rings true, whether in portraying Scrooge’s grasping selfishness at the beginning of the play or his “light-as-a-feather” giddiness when he’s transformed into a quite jolly fellow at the end.
The rest of the cast is superb, as well, making Victorian London come alive onstage in a way that makes it highly believable. I truly enjoyed the inclusion of the paperweight-throwing incident in the scene where Scrooge’s nephew Fred (played admirably by Rusty Sneary) comes to Scrooge’s office to cajole him once again to come to Christmas dinner.
Walter Coppage and Cheryl Weaver both do terrific jobs playing Bob and Mrs. Cratchit (not sure why Charles Dickens never gave Mrs. Cratchit, a truly formidable character, a first name), and Jim Gall (impressively tall, on stilts) comes out into the audience during every performance to interact (in a very informal and convivial way) with the audience, even making comments about recent KU basketball games.
Reports are circulating in the Kansas City area that A Christmas Carol at KC Rep has been cancelled, and nothing could be further from the truth. Although the Midland Theatre’s tour of A Christmas Carol has been cancelled, the Rep’s 31-year tradition of presenting Kansas City’s favorite holiday classic is still going strong. And, now more than ever, it’s truly a parable for our times.
THE FINE PRINT
A Christmas Carol runs through December 26 at the Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry Street (on UMKC’s campus). Call 816-235-2700 or go to kcrep.org.
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