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Bless Us: 'Carol' charms again
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Published: December 1, 2008
HIGH POINT
There's magic over in High Point, and the holiday season just became a little brighter for it. The N.C. Shakespeare Festival's production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol opened last night, and the packed house, standing ovations and children dancing out of the theater attested to its charm.
This production is all that one would hope for in a classic. Here we are in mid-19th-century London. Capes, top hats, bustled gowns and waistcoats spread colors across the stage in a captivating show from director Pedro Silva.
Beautiful, robust singing underscores many of the scenes. Large choruses sing in harmony, and such carols as "What Child Is This" are woven into some of the more dramatic moments. Through the journey of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation, we are entranced.
A large measure of the success of this production belongs to Allan Edwards in the lead role of Scrooge. With a kind of fluid grace, Edwards has us believe in the various components of Scrooge's hardened personality.
As Scrooge is visited by the three ghosts -- Past, Present and Future -- Edwards meticulously unpeels the hardened defenses that have rendered his character so cynical. We watch a man slowly come to life as he faces his own cruel behavior.
Then, Scrooge awakes from the previous night's visitations, he is a new man, and the audience immediately shifts into the true spirit of Christmas along with Scrooge.
Most ably assisting are Graham Smith as the indomitably happy Bob Cratchit; Jason Loughlin as Scrooge's nephew, Fred; Cynthia Barrett as the Ghost of Christmas Past; Robert Beatty as the Ghost of Christmas Present; and Sara Valentine as Cratchit's wife, Anne.
There are tears and tenderness in this production, but most of all there is hope. It is a must-see for the holiday season, for families and individuals.
■ The N.C. Shakespeare Festival will present A Christmas Carol Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 9-14, and Dec. 16-21. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. SchoolFest performances are at 10 a.m. starting Dec. 3 and continuing Tuesdays through Fridays until Dec. 18. Tickets are $14-$31. There is a special price of $9.95 Thursday. High Point Theatre is at 220 E. Commerce Ave., High Point. Call 336-887-3001.
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