PORTSMOUTH—
Every December an overabundance of stage versions of A Christmas Carol proliferate through theaters across the country.
Stage adaptations are almost too numerous to count: Because Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas novella has long been in the public domain, dozens upon dozens — perhaps hundreds — of scripts have been specially created for many theaters. Often these are written by the theaters’ artistic directors themselves.
Some of these versions are perfectly faithful renditions of Dickens’ beloved ghost story, but most add an artistic twist or two. A prime example is the version which opened last weekend at Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth.
It’s distinguished by two salient features. First, it’s a musical version, with original songs interpolated among several familiar Christmas carols. The total effect strikes a very responsive chord. Second, there’s an intriguing method of framing the story for the stage.
Seacoast Rep’s version of the script is obviously successful; it was produced for nearly two decades at Massachusetts’ prestigious North Shore Music Theater. The book was written by Jon Kimbell, David Zoffoli and David James, while lyrics were penned by Kimbell and James with original music composed by Alby Potts and James Woodland.
Seacoast recently acquired the rights to this show and is introducing it in Portsmouth. Last weekend was the first time I’d seen this version, and I was quite favorably impressed.
Veteran professional actor David Coffee plays the pivotal character of Ebenezer Scrooge — the ill-humored curmudgeonly miser whose transformation at the hands of a trio of ghosts represents the heart of the story. Coffee’s Scrooge is a tour de force of acting, a delightful rendition honed by many years of experience in the role at North Shore Music Theatre. It was much appreciated by Seacoast Rep’s sellout crowd.
Gordon Baird, another veteran professional actor, delivers a stellar performance as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s long-dead business partner who haunts him on Christmas Eve. And Baird’s horrific makeup job deserves an award for green room excellence!
Christopher Bradley, a Seacoast Rep regular, delivers a sincere and convincing interpretation of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s long-suffering employee and struggling family breadwinner.
I also liked the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Sara Thomas and Jim Burkholder respectively. (The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come doesn’t say a word, but I felt that his overtly Darth Vader-style costume and light sword were too far out.)
And kudos to Carolyn Hause, who plays two small roles. Her vocal expression, body language and demeanor were delightful.
The Narrator, played by Ryan Bates, is a role that is introduced by North Shore’s version of the script. At first I thought the role was created to simplify the theatrical framing and assist the presentation of Dickens’ narratives.
But the Narrator’s surprise revelation in the denouement is simply enchanting. Definitely outside Dickens’ story — but totally in keeping with the author’s spirit.
Every December an overabundance of stage versions of A Christmas Carol proliferate through theaters across the country.
Stage adaptations are almost too numerous to count: Because Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas novella has long been in the public domain, dozens upon dozens — perhaps hundreds — of scripts have been specially created for many theaters. Often these are written by the theaters’ artistic directors themselves.
Some of these versions are perfectly faithful renditions of Dickens’ beloved ghost story, but most add an artistic twist or two. A prime example is the version which opened last weekend at Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth.
It’s distinguished by two salient features. First, it’s a musical version, with original songs interpolated among several familiar Christmas carols. The total effect strikes a very responsive chord. Second, there’s an intriguing method of framing the story for the stage.
Seacoast Rep’s version of the script is obviously successful; it was produced for nearly two decades at Massachusetts’ prestigious North Shore Music Theater. The book was written by Jon Kimbell, David Zoffoli and David James, while lyrics were penned by Kimbell and James with original music composed by Alby Potts and James Woodland.
Seacoast recently acquired the rights to this show and is introducing it in Portsmouth. Last weekend was the first time I’d seen this version, and I was quite favorably impressed.
Veteran professional actor David Coffee plays the pivotal character of Ebenezer Scrooge — the ill-humored curmudgeonly miser whose transformation at the hands of a trio of ghosts represents the heart of the story. Coffee’s Scrooge is a tour de force of acting, a delightful rendition honed by many years of experience in the role at North Shore Music Theatre. It was much appreciated by Seacoast Rep’s sellout crowd.
Gordon Baird, another veteran professional actor, delivers a stellar performance as the Ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s long-dead business partner who haunts him on Christmas Eve. And Baird’s horrific makeup job deserves an award for green room excellence!
Christopher Bradley, a Seacoast Rep regular, delivers a sincere and convincing interpretation of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s long-suffering employee and struggling family breadwinner.
I also liked the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Sara Thomas and Jim Burkholder respectively. (The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come doesn’t say a word, but I felt that his overtly Darth Vader-style costume and light sword were too far out.)
And kudos to Carolyn Hause, who plays two small roles. Her vocal expression, body language and demeanor were delightful.
The Narrator, played by Ryan Bates, is a role that is introduced by North Shore’s version of the script. At first I thought the role was created to simplify the theatrical framing and assist the presentation of Dickens’ narratives.
But the Narrator’s surprise revelation in the denouement is simply enchanting. Definitely outside Dickens’ story — but totally in keeping with the author’s spirit.
