Is there a Christmas story that has been more often shown on stage than A Christmas Carol? I would definitely say “no” to that one. Charles Dickens published the famous piece in December 1843, and according to Wikipedia, went to stage almost right away in February of 1844. What is it about this tale that begs to be put on over and over for almost 200 years? Unfortunately, we can’t really know what the early incarnations of A Christmas Carol were like, but we can definitely look at what this show looks like now. From the time I was young, this show has been a huge part of my life. And even in those 27 years, things have changed.
Last night, I saw People’s Light’s production of A Christmas Carol. This is kind of a big deal for People’s Light for a bunch of reasons. First of all, they’re going back and forth between this and pantos. Last I heard, anyway. People’s Light had done A Christmas Carol ages ago, but I’m pretty sure that’s been mostly forgotten. What I think is the most important thing about this is that A Christmas Carol was PL’s first show back from COVID quarantine in 2021. Of course, things were really different back then, and this show, adapted by the theatre’s artistic director Zak Berkman, had to be big.
That was definitely a wonderful production. It was such a wonderful combination of classic and fresh. Honestly, I think that’s one of the most important things when mounting any production of A Christmas Carol. For a show that’s been around as long as this one has, no one wants to see the same show they’ve seen a million times. I get the whole idea of tradition, but there’s only so many times we can watch it. I think that’s pretty much the thing with any show that has a history like A Christmas Carol does.
I had no idea what to expect this time around. I had pretty brief conversations with two of the actors I know in the show, and they both vaguely said it was the same, but also a little different. So I was definitely surprised to walk into the theatre and see something completely different from what I remembered from two years ago. But hey, that’s totally fine. There are always going to be changes. And it was actually really nice. The stage was two levels, with the musicians set up at the top. My favorite part was a Christmas light wrapped ghost light in the middle of the stage.
People’s Light has been promoting this show like crazy. Rightfully so…they’ve been putting out some amazing content. I love the tradition of having a family show like this, whether it’s the panto or A Christmas Carol. This is how so many children fall in love with theatre. I absolutely loved the soft start to the show, with the musicians playing a Christmas song and young children entering from the side before the rest of the cast entered. Going in, I knew there was a much bigger cast than the last time, including a whole bunch of the young children like what we saw at the start. That was super exciting for me, as the first professional show I was in was A Christmas Carol at Hedgerow Theatre. It’s a good way for kids to get into acting, as well as kids in the audience to relate to who they were seeing onstage.
Watching this show was an absolute delight. It was filled with joy, Christmas carols, and original songs. The cast was insanely talented…everyone had a beautiful voice and immense stage presence. The costumes and sets were simple, but so perfect for the show I was seeing. I did remember a lot of it from the last time PL put the show on, but it was really mostly redone. I think that’s perfect, though…you can’t keep doing the same show over and over. I loved what I was watching, for the gem of a show it was. It was definitely A Christmas Carol, but it was the People’s Light, 2023 version of it. And I think that’s the really important part about the whole thing.
I would bring a kid to this production any day. My mom even wants to bring my 4 1/2 year old cousin. I didn’t think it was too scary, or too overwhelming, or anything that would make this family story not a family show. But it’s so much more than that, really. It’s a timeless story that can teach all of us a few things. Getting to see this beautiful combination of a classic play and a new perception of it is just what I needed. It’s just what the holiday season needs.
There are a million ways for us to experience A Christmas Carol on stage. And I really, really loved this one. The actors and crew have so much to offer the audience, and the audience has so much to take, and so much to learn from them. But I also think it goes both ways. I think everyone on stage, everyone back stage, in the various booths, who worked on costumes, who worked on sets…and everyone else I’m forgetting, all take a lot from the audience. I think that’s the beauty of A Christmas Carol, from my experience. And it’s a message for the holiday season. Let’s all learn from each other.
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