Most of us are familiar with the classic story of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is a moneylender with a serious lack of Christmas spirit. The night of Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his late partner and fellow humbugger, Jacob Marley, who informs him to await the visits of three ghosts whose goal is to help him avoid a terrible fate. The Spirit of Christmas Past, the first entity to visit Scrooge, is followed by the Spirit of Christmas Present and the Spirit of Christmas Future. Throughout his journey with each spirit, Scrooge is taught the importance of valuing life, of being kind, and of helping those who are less fortunate than himself. Thus, Scrooge is transformed into a new man; forever changed by the lessons he has learned, he continues to carry the spirit of Christmas inside him every day of the year.
After twenty-five years, A Christmas Carol is the longest-running theatre tradition in Calgary; however, the performance is not the same as it was a quarter of a century ago. Adapter and director Dennis Garnhum, who has directed Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol since 2006, is promising a production bigger and better than ever before. “This production is my imagination running with ideas that Charles Dickens inspired,” says Garnhum. This year’s show differs from previous years’ in that besides being a much larger production, it follows Dickens’ original story far more closely. Also, a much greater portion of the play will be in song, with the addition of about twenty Christmas carols to the dialogue; as well, the entire set has been changed to resemble what Garnhum calls, “a white winter wonderland”. “It’s going to be much more like a fantasy; similar to a ballet, or a children’s story,” says Garnhum. “The previous versions have been more about poverty and bleakness. This one is much more about children and joy.”
Stephen Hair has been a part of Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol for twenty-three years. When asked how he feels about playing the same role for so long, Hair replies that he has never thought of it that way. “I was forty-four or forty-three when I started Scrooge, and this year I’m going to be sixty. A lot has happened to me in those seventeen years, and so Scrooge changes as I change. As I learn more about life and a little more about [myself], I try to put that kind of emotion or feeling into Scrooge.” Hair’s main goal in playing Scrooge is to let audiences see him as a human being, who, although has made poor choices in the past, has now changed for the better. “That is the nature of the story, and I think that’s why people keep coming and seeing it,” says Hair. “It’s for all of us. It tells us that we can all make bad choices, but you can actually change and go to the light.”
Patrick Clark, in charge of set and costume design, trusts that “audiences will come out of the theatre going, ‘Wow, that was great! That wasn’t like any A Christmas Carol I have ever seen.’” So, if you love the theatre, enjoy being entertained, and have a soft spot in your heart for Christmas, this year’s Theatre Calgary production of A Christmas Carol should be on your list. Even if you have seen the show before or know the story by heart, you are promised a fun time and a performance of the classical Christmas story like you have never seen before. Now, that is no “bah humbug!”
10 Reasons Why Western Students Should See A Christmas Carol
By Clare Talbot
- Theatre Calgary was started by Dr. Betty Mitchell, a former drama teacher at Western Canada High School. We have to support our fellow Westerners!
- Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol is celebrating twenty-five years!
- You won’t want to miss the incredible new “Winter Wonderland” set and costumes!
- A Christmas Carol is a classic story that can be enjoyed by all.
- This one is for all the music lovers out there: this year’s production includes twenty new, spectacular Christmas carols!
- Theatre Calgary offers some delicious snacks at intermissions!
- It is a great way to spend a cozy night with family and friends.
- The story teaches an important lesson, with scenes and characters that will surely melt your heart.
- Going to see the production supports the Calgary arts scene!
- Don’t “bah humbug!” Get in the Christmas spirit!
