“A Christmas Carol” 2023 reviewed by Julia W. Rath

***** Chicago’s most beloved show, “A Christmas Carol”, now in its 46th year at the Goodman Theatre, stars the multitalented and humble Larry Yando in his 16th year as Ebenezer Scrooge incarnate. What a marvelously miserable penny-pinching character he plays: a crotchety old man whom you love to hate—and hate to love! Many changes from previous years have been made to this holiday classic and only add to the comedy: all enhanced by Yando’s phenomenal acting! More of a character study than anything else, today’s story features less plot (or should I say, less subplot) as compared to previous versions, making it more simplified and direct such that a child can better understand it—and, of course, the appeal of this play is to children as well as adults. Retelling this familiar tale means that most adults already know what is going to happen, what will happen next, and how the story ends. But that’s okay! Jessica Thebus has changed things around since her debut as director in 2020 to keep the adults happy, with the focus on making sure that the children in the audience get excited when they see the show for the first time.

Changes in this year’s version include more private moments when Scrooge is alone and a bit more of his pontificating and playing to the audience. Perhaps the most remarkable change in this year’s production is the inclusion of American sign language into portions of the script. Here we see the brilliantly talented Robert Schleifer, who plays Scrooge’s former boss Fezziwig, signing as a means of communication, such that a hearing person serves as interpreter. In fact, the entire cast uses sign language at the very end to wish everybody in the audience a very merry Christmas. This, plus the addition of multiculturalism in song and language, is done extraordinarily well! Also new this year is Christian Lucas, who is sweet and compelling in the role of Tiny Tim. And (spoiler alert) I liked today’s incarnation where Jacob Marley (Kareem Bandealy) jumps out of Scrooge’s bed rather than coming through the bedchamber wall. In addition to carrying the very heavy chain that he has forged during his lifetime, Marley also shows up with a heavy cashbox, which significantly weighs his soul down.

The singing, dancing, and acting talent of all the supporting players is superb. I can never get tired of seeing Thomas J. Cox as Bob Cratchit and how he surreptitiously tries to defeat Scrooge behind his back. Special credit must go to Susaan Jamshidi as Mrs. Cratchit, Dee Dee Batteast as Scrooge’s niece Frida, Tafadzwa Diener as Martha Cratchit, Bethany Thomas as the Ghost of Christmas Present (with her Caribbean vibe), and Andrew White with his kindly expression of warmth as narrator. Plus we see Mark Bedard as a juggler tossing lighted balls into the air. Children, in particular, will enjoy this. The addition of original violin music to accompany the narration adds dramatic emphasis and pathos to the performance; Gregory Hirte does a tremendous job as fiddler, not to mention his soulful facial expressions! Thanks must also go to music director and accordionist Malcolm Ruhl, music composer Andrew Hansen, and instrumentalists Hillary Bayley (violin) and Delin Ruhl (flute). Costume design by Heidi Sue McMath is appropriate for the Dickensian era; and the ghosts’ costumes are quite creative, especially Thomas’s unusual dress that looks somewhat like a Christmas tree. Choreographer Tommy Rapley has done excellent work, especially with the dance at Fezziwig’s and all the big production numbers. Moreover, the show could not have been made possible without flight director Andrea Gentry at the helm.

The only issue I had with the current presentation is that the scene featuring the Ghost of Christmas Future is somewhat too dark. The guest I brought with me on opening night happened to have lost her son several years earlier and started crying at this point. That said, a lot of subsequent gags and quips helped to lighten her spirits and cheer her up.

With cleverly crafted sets by Todd Rosenthal, perfect lighting by Keith Parham, ideal sound by Richard Woodbury and Pornchanok Kanchanabanca, this play with music is spellbinding—and all the more so whenever we see Yando on stage as Scrooge. It doesn’t matter whether he utters a word or not: even when we see the character of Young Scrooge (Daniel José Molina) on stage, Yando is always the focus of attention. There is a nuanced clarity in all of his movements and actions, which makes his acting a joy to behold! Unlike watching other productions where the reformed miser becomes kind and generous very quickly, we can see how much it pains Scrooge to change his ways and finally do the right thing. When we can see all the good he can do to help Tiny Tim and lots of others, our hearts melt as well.

Watching Scrooge’s transformation (especially at this time of year) is the reason why people of all ages flock to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman and why so many make it an annual tradition. Now go and see it for yourself!

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is playing through December 31, 2023, at the Goodman Theatre (in the Albert Theatre), 170 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago.

Tickets range from $43 – $154, depending on the date and time of performance and seat location.
Children’s performances begin at $30.

Performance schedule:

Matinee performances:

Tuesday, December 26 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 13 at 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, December 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 27 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 30 at 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, December 14 at 2:00 p.m.
Friday, December 22 at 2:00 p.m.
Saturdays – 2:00 p.m.
No matinee performance on Saturday, December 30
Sundays – 2:00 p.m.

Evening performances:

Tuesday, December 5, December 19, and December 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 29, December 6, December 13, December 20 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursdays – 7:00 p.m.
Fridays – 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays – 7:30 p.m.
Sundays – 7:00 p.m.
No evening performances on Sunday, December 24 and Sunday, December 31

Special performances/Accessible performances

Touch Tour and Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, December 9, 12:30 p.m. Touch Tour; 2:00 p.m. performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Friday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m. – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Sunday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Sensory-Friendly Performance: Saturday, December 30 at 2:00 p.m. – Sensory-friendly/relaxed performances are designed to create a performing arts experience that is intended for patrons who have autism or other social, cognitive and physical challenges that create sensory sensitivities and their families.

Visit https://www.goodmantheatre.org/tickets/accessibility/ for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to:
https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/a-christmas-carol-2023/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrPef_qndggMV0tbICh17BQ_tEAAYASAAEgKc__D_BwE.

For general information about the Goodman and to view their other offerings, see: https://www.goodmantheatre.org/.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “A Christmas Carol”.