Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow
Jonathan Smoots as Ebenezer Scrooge and Amalia Cecsarini as Tiny Tim
Charles Dickens’ timeless classic A Christmas Carol returns once more to the Pabst Theater. This is the 39th year that the Milwaukee Repertory Theater has staged this big-budget production within the theater’s historic gold and red velvet interior. Staged in this nearly perfect setting, A Christmas Carol is a glorious reminder of hope, faith, redemption and family.
Over the years, the production has lost none of its grandeur. The cast alone seems as though it would populate a small town, especially during the frequent singing interludes. English and American carols brighten the mood even during the darkest scenes. The multitude of costumes, holiday trimmings and sets is an ever-changing delight that has warmed the hearts of Milwaukeeans for generations.
Although the production is tweaked a bit each year, the show’s key elements seem essentially the same. The biggest change is Jonathan Smoots, one of Milwaukee’s best-known actors, who debuts as the miserly Scrooge. (Interestingly, the first role Smoots played in A Christmas Carol was as a boy; he played Young Scrooge.) Smoots has taken on many roles in this show over the years and he demonstrates a keen understanding of what makes Scrooge tick.
Opening night’s performance displayed an overabundance of energy on the part of some actors eager to get the show on the road. This ebullience will undoubtedly settle down in subsequent performances. One veteran actor who dominates the other end of the spectrum is Hollis Resnik. This is her first Christmas Carol appearance. She is determinedly aloof as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and downright dour as Scrooge’s housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber.
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Not to discredit the many years that James Pickering delivered top-notch performances playing the role of Scrooge, Jonathan Smoots seems to have his own take on the character. In some ways he shows more curiosity and less reluctance to follow the spirits on their journeys across time. Smoots doesn’t seem willing to conjure the role’s most odious aspects, such as growling at the never-ending do-gooders who stroll into his office on Christmas Eve.
When Scrooge finally “gets” what the Christmas season means, it is almost as though he has known it all along. Perhaps he had been too frightened in the past to let his heart soften as others’ hearts have softened to receive the spirit of Christmas. In any case, one of the final scenes, in which Scrooge pretends to be angry at his late-arriving clerk, Bob Cratchit (Jonathan Wainwright), has lost not of its charm. It’s always a highlight, especially for the younger audience members.
A few other notable actors deserving shout outs include: Melody Betts, who recreates her jolly, Jamaican-lilting character as the Ghost of Christmas Present; both Wainwright and Marti Gobel, reprising their roles as Mr. and Mrs. Cratchit; and Michael Doherty, who appears here in his debut role as Fred (Scrooge’s nephew). When Fred plops down in Scrooge’s chair during his annual Christmas Eve visit, he compounds the insolence by putting his feet up on the desk. His good-natured goading gets the show off to a humorous start. All in all, this is a wonderful holiday tradition that the entire family is sure to enjoy.
A Christmas Carol continues at the Pabst Theater through Dec. 24. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
