Oof, what a year.
For many of us, this is a time of great distress; it’s easy to forget that the solution often lies within and among each of us. It’s easy to doom-scroll on our phones and laptops, assuming that all is lost, forgetting that we still have each other. We hoard our fears like a miser hoards his cash, forgetting that if we just put our infernal devices away and step out the door, we have each other. We have friends, family; and we have people in need.
Among the many balms of the season is Charles Dickens’ perennial tale about an embittered old man who has forgotten what a good person he used to be, and who is brought back to his better self by a series of small miracles. The American Shakespeare Center has produced Jay McClure’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol for many years now, and director Stephanie Holladay Earl reunites with the ASC regulars for another wonderful evening, chock-full of fun songs and spectacle calculated to bring all of us back to our better selves.
Ronald Román-Melendez leads the cast as the nastiest Ebeneezer Scrooge you’ll never want to meet; he deliberately makes you recoil at his ice-cold touch. Which, of course, makes the later renewal of his better self that much more delightful. And at the close, as he engages with that street urchin on Christmas morning, inquiring about a certain prize turkey, he calls out to the kid with terms of endearment that Spanish-speaking audience members will recognize instantly as their own.
The musical selections, under the leadership of Christopher Seiler (who doubles here as our humble Bob Cratchit), take you through a number of familiar holiday favorites, with some crowd-pleasing surprises. Two personal favorites include the totally silly and totally appropriate “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” complete with a kazoo chorus (note to self: next year bring a kazoo for the nonce, the more the merrier), and then there’s the amusingly updated lyrics to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” sung with more than a nod and a wink by Chloe Rogers and Blake Henri.
Rogers, when not showing off her singing talents, gives us a touching Belle, who has to break off her engagement with the young Scrooge. Meanwhile, Henri offers a larger-than-life turn (if that’s the appropriate term) as the ghost of Jacob Marley, who emerges from the stage’s trap doors enchained, bellowing in his agony, realizing too late the effect that greed has had on him. Henri returns later in a more jovial aspect as Christmas Present, where he gets to openly conspire with Christmas Past (played charmingly by Hannah Nguyen) as they work to convert Scrooge from crab to spaniel.
The inventiveness of the stage business is a given at any ASC show, as the cast routinely turns a rolling platform into a bed, a table, a tomb, etc., and Caroline Cook’s costume designs will stay in my memory for some time, from the illuminated gown for Christmas Past to the portentous, tall figure of Christmas Future.
Darin F. Earl II plays this latter role on carefully concealed stilts, and between Cook’s design and Doreen Becthol’s choreography, he definitely chills the air as Scrooge contemplates his possibly ignominious end. After which, Earl returns to his jovial self as Scrooge’s nephew Fred, brightening the stage and reminding us that these performers can do literally anything: terrify you one minute and charm you the next.
My one regret this year is that I didn’t get to participate in ASC’s traditional Wednesday “Fancy Pajama Night,” where you’re invited to wear your best, ahem, informal evening attire, and even pose for a picture or two after the show on the stage. It’s a great way to remind the community how much they are treasured by the company.
Running Time: Two hours, including intermission.
A Christmas Carol plays through December 27, 2025, presented by American Shakespeare Center at the Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 South Market Street, Staunton, VA. For tickets (starting at $39), call the box office at (540) 851-3400 or purchase them online.
Cast and artistic team credits are online here. The holiday program is online here.
