The Daily Times

The challenge in producing a play like “A Christmas Carol” is that just about everyone knows the story.

Re-interpreting the source material has to be done in a way that maintains the instantly recognizable storyline, but still gives an unique enough perspective to make the production relevant to an audience already familiar with the details. Clarence Brown Theatre’s 2011 presentation of the Dickens classic does just that.

David Kortemeier’s portrayal of Scrooge is as close to perfect as you could ask for. His take on the character is different from what I’ve seen in other performances. Even at his most spiteful, Kortemeier’s Scrooge give us a glimmer, just a glimmer, mind you, of humor and humanity. Just as the Ghost of Marley predicts, there’s still hope for Scrooge, and the audience sees the man worth saving, even in this show’s early scenes.

It’s a fine line to tread, and Edward Morgan’s direction finds the balance — clearly Morgan was able to communicate this vision to the actors. In every performance, there’s a thread of joyous anticipation; even at its most serious, the play is never hopeless — everything points to the ultimate redemption of Scrooge.

It’s like a miniature Advent. We know Christmas is coming, and each moment of anticipation brings us that much closer to the goal.

Terry Weber’s Bob Cratchit is unwaveringly excellent. He plays his part with such an engaging good-naturedness there’s no choice but to be enthralled. Weber’s Cratchit, more than any other character, is the audience’s ticket into the world of the play.

The set and sound design on this show are both fantastic, but the standout technical achievement in the production is the lighting design. Beverly Emmons uses the light to cast the perfect mood for every scene. The lighting becomes a character, signaling time, place and even the other characters’ emotional states.

The lighting also adds a certain fairy tale quality to the atmosphere of the play. The design reminds us this a fable, a ghost story — but there’s enough gravitas to underscore that this story is also about the serious business of redemption.

Music pervades this production. “A Christmas Carol” is chock full of, well, Christmas carols. The singing is joyful … and triumphant. And, it’s interesting, the carols don’t feel a bit out of place in the story. You know how sometimes in musicals, a song will break out and it just feels a little forced? That doesn’t happen here. All the song and dance numbers fit organically into the play as a whole.

Everything in this play works together to create a sense of wonder and anticipation. The redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge is only the beginning of the story. The story goes on, in the celebration, in our hearts.

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