Christmas is a time of celebration, and this year’s Christmas also marks the return of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater classic, A Christmas Carol. It has been two years since the residents of Charles Dickens’s Victorian London have trod upon the stage of the historic Pabst Theater, which is trimmed to holiday perfection year-round. With its swathes of rich red curtains and carpeting, intricate staircases and sparkle of myriad crystal chandeliers, the Pabst is undeniably the perfect spot to host this timeless English tale. And the magic continues once the onstage action begins. The first thing one notices is the massive, revolving set that towers above the actors. Within seconds, the set (by Todd Edward Ivins) becomes a wide range of locations around London, including: Scrooge’s counting house; his cold, dark home; a lively London street, and so forth. Not only that, the stage moves quickly through Scrooge’s life, as a trio of spirits whisk him into scenes from his past, present and future.
To get us in the mood, the first of many musical numbers is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” A very large cast, outfitted to the brim in Victorian garb (by Alexander B. Tecoma) and lighted beautifully (by Jeff Nellis) stroll the streets of London. By the time “real” snowflakes begin to float down from the rafters, the transformation is complete. Under the direction of Artistic Director Mark Clements, this production of A Christmas Carol is packed with delight.
In order to more fully engage younger audience members, some characters enter and exit the stage through the theater’s aisles. Occasionally, an onstage character will address the audience directly. When one of the ghosts shouts out, “shall we show Scrooge one more scene (from his past)?,” the audience responds with a resounding, “yes!”
One of the best things about this version is the return of Lee E. Ernst to the role of Scrooge. Ernst, though playing an old man, shuffles quickly through this fast-paced production. Ernst embodies a Scrooge who perhaps looks even older than his years, due to his embittered and contemptuous temperament. Scrooge is not shy about shouting “bah, Humbug!” to anyone expressing joyous greetings of the season. Perhaps in an attempt to make Scrooge’s physical self even smaller than his heart, he is given a very tall stool to climb in order to reach his elevated desk. This gives Scrooge a rare vantage point, as he has no trouble literally looking down at his lowly clerk, Bob Cratchit (a fine Reese Madigan). From this height, Scrooge is also able to shoo away charity workers (Carrie Hitchcock and James Pickering, both memorable) who seek donations for the poor. It is here that Scrooge intones his famous lines, “Are there no prisons? Are there no work houses?” Like everything else Scrooge says at this point, his words will come back to haunt him.
Later, at home, Scrooge is confronted by visions of his old business partner Marley, who died seven years ago. Magically, Marley’s face seems to suddenly appear in Scrooge’s front door knocker. Somewhat shaken by this event, Scrooge retreats to his bedroom. Here, he is visited by Marley’s ghost, who impressively makes his entrance by walking through a “solid” wall. Mark Corkins does an excellent job of creating this horrific, disfigured vision of a lost man, who has been wandering through time while wearing the heavy chains he forged in life. As Marley, Corkins pleads convincingly as he warns Scrooge of facing the same fate.
Although the size of the cast precludes individual mention, exceptionally strong performances are turned in by the first two ghosts (Kevin Kantor as the ethereal Ghost of Christmas Past, and Todd Denning as the hearty, jovial Ghost of Christmas Present). The Cratchit family, as well as the London ensemble, show a nice diversity. Little Tiny Tim (Lainey Techtmann) not only gets the last word in the show (“God Bless Us, Everyone”), but here gets a brief solo, too. Techtmann is among more than 17 young performers in the show, and each one adds a great deal of authentic flavor to the proceedings.
Audiences who would like to see more of local veteran actors James Pickering and Carrie Hitchcock won’t be disappointed, as they pop into various characters throughout the production. Finally, Rana Roman makes a caring and sometimes feisty Mrs. Cratchit, and Aja Wiltshire makes an impressive Belle, the woman who broke a young Scrooge’s heart.
Eventually, Scrooge completes his ghostly initiation towards redemption. Then Ernst (as Scrooge) revs up the comedy as he surprises his dumbfounded staff, family and community.
Whether this is one’s first viewing of A Christmas Carol or if it’s an annual tradition, one cannot resist the joyride of emotions that accompany Scrooge’s newly discovered faith in his fellow man.
The Milwaukee Rep has been producing A Christmas Carol for almost 50 years, with the pandemic bringing its only interruption. Although this production may not contain all of the cherished scenes and songs from past years (notably “The Holly and the Ivy”), it ably conveys Dickens’ timeless message of love, thankfulness and heartfelt giving, during the holiday season and throughout the year.
