The cast of “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep. Photo: Mark Turek.
By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
For many Rhode Islanders, Trinity Rep’s “A Christmas Carol” is as much of a holiday tradition as egg nog and twinkle lights. And with good reason.
The festive production has delighted audiences of all ages for years, and this year is no exception.
Under the bold direction of Brown/Trinity graduate Taibi Magar, the show begins with the cast’s children (The Red cast performed press night) breaking into an old abandoned theater. Soon, the lights flicker on and a cast of phantom characters brings the kids into their production of Charles Dickens’ classic.
The set by Patrick Lynch is lovely, rimmed with the golden glow of oversize bulbs that denote an old-fashioned proscenium but give the warm gleam of Christmas.
Trinity’s version of “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming, is dotted with original music and familiar carols, sung in a hearty and boisterous fashion reminiscent of carolers bustling down cobblestone streets.
Resident company member Fred Sullivan, Jr. is at the helm of the production again as Ebenezer Scrooge, and while he’s terrific at being the gruff, cold-hearted miser, he also adds a lot of nuance, humor and humanity to the role.
Tom Gleadow is a perfect Jacob Marley, who comes back to haunt Scrooge in a way caused some little ones to scurry from the theater with parents in tow. His performance truly reminds the audience that Dickens’ holiday tale has always been a ghost story at heart.
Oh, and since this is a ghost story, it wouldn’t be complete without the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
Third year Brown/Trinity MFA student Elise Hudson makes for an ethereal Christmas Past; company member Joe Wilson, Jr. is a boisterous flying sprite (think yuletide Sammy Davis, Jr.) as Christmas Present, and third year Brown/Trinity MFA student Ralph Adriel Johnson is a haunting specter: The Ghost of Christmas Future.
Stephen Thorne is the affable Bob Cratchit, with the lovely Ava Gaudet as his wife. Thorne is particularly lovable as Bob – with some rather inventive comedic bits he adds some levity to otherwise serious dialogue.
The entire production is peppered with comedy, including one excellent video piece towards the very end.
But there are still the tender moments inside the Cratchit home; the heart-wrenching moments at Tiny Tim’s grave; the chilling moments in the presence of spirits, and the didactic moments throughout Scrooge’s journey through time.
There’s a reason “A Christmas Carol” has stood the test of time like no other holiday story, and there’s a reason we keep returning to Trinity Rep to watch them stage it.
“A Christmas Carol” runs now through December 31 at Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street in Providence. For show times, tickets and information, click here.
