“A Christmas Carol” Arlington Heights reviewed by Julia W. Rath

***** The heartwarming story “A Christmas Carol” is told with masterful distinction in this 85-minute presentation at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center, in Arlington Heights. Bolstered by exceptional acting, singing, and dancing, this splendid production is one that you and your children must see! True in language and cadence to the novel penned by Charles Dickens, this holiday treat brims with traditional Christmas carols and native English folk dances which date from the 1840s.

Lovingly adapted by Jacqueline Goldfinger and sharply directed by Artistic Director Brendan Ragan, this play with music stars Steve Connell as the curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge. Six narrators trade off as they tell his story in Dickens’s original prose. We witness how Scrooge’s sadnesses during his early life contributed to his subsequent greed and indifference to his fellow human beings. The unrepentant misanthrope, however, starts to change his ways as a result of an unlikely encounter with the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley (Peter Gertas), who died seven years earlier. This visitation is followed by that of three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past (Zoya Martin), the Ghost of Christmas Present (Josh Frink), and the Ghost of Christmas Future (Michael J. Santos). Obviously, Scrooge’s very human impulse is to recoil when meeting up with each of the ghosts. But in his fright, he discovers a deeper truth within himself—and we witness how he becomes regretful of his past behavior and reforms himself from miserly to generous.

Most notable in the cast is Spencer Schillinger, the young actor who plays Tiny Tim. His performance is absolutely amazing! It is a rare and remarkable privilege to be in the audience to watch him in this role! Schillinger has a clear and distinct voice and has fully mastered the British accent. When the cast was taking its bows, he got the loudest applause; the biggest standing ovation was for him! Wow!

This show contains a wealth of favorite scenes! One of them involves Bob Cratchit (Andrew Bosworth), working tirelessly at his desk for Scrooge, while his boss is nastily putting off all sorts of people including his nephew Fred (Gabriel Fries) and two women who ask him for a donation to a good cause (Lizzie Williams and Dreaa Kay Baudy). With a flick of his quill pen and without saying a word, Cratchit communicates his disgust with Scrooge’s miserable nature and his self-serving, disagreeable behavior. Plus the excellent placement of carols and caroling throughout the performance provides nice filler between scene changes as well as being the focus for some of the action. Scrooge, of course, would only become angry at hearing the sound of joyous singing.

Highest praise must go to costume design! The garments created by Andrés Mota could not have been more suitable! Practically every one of the outfits is true to the time period and social class of each of the characters. My favorite is Martin’s red silk dress that she wears as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Then there are the modern exceptions to this authenticity: both very well done. Winter, in the form of a ballet dancer (Emma Grace Bailey) is dressed all in white and represents the spirit of the holidays. The Ghost of Christmas Future is dressed in a super-tall outfit and has large red eyes. This costume is almost too funny, but this is a good thing! It takes away from the creature being ominous and scary and the scene becoming too dark. Hair and makeup design by Alice Salazar is incredible, as is the work of wig supervisor Miguel Ramos. The standout is Martin’s hair, which is interwoven with lighted white ornaments and could not have been any more elegant! My only objection regarding makeup is that Marley looks too much like a monster with his bumpy green skin, as compared to our stereotypical idea of what a ghost might look like. Making him up to be pale and as translucent as possible would have been preferable.

Choreography by Kaity Paschetto is extraordinary! In addition to Winter’s solo dances throughout the show, large dance numbers feature the entire company. The joyfulness of all the folk dancing cannot be surpassed, and I had to restrain myself from getting up and joining in on stage! Music director Ken McMullen has done a superb job by ensuring that the Christmas carols are harmonized as they need to be and that the dances are well-timed, together with piano accompaniment. Needless to say, dialogue coach Erin O’Connor has done a fabulous job with this cast to impart their authentic British accents.

Scenic designer Mara Ishihara Zinky has crafted a clever multipurpose set, complete with stone walls, windows, and torches; this works exceedingly well to contain all of the action. Prop designer Theresa Neumayer has added to the illusion: By pulling down curtains, the set becomes a bedchamber; by moving in tables, it becomes a dining room; and so forth. With just a few touches, the scenes nicely shift between exteriors and interiors, and we can use our own imagination to fill in any blanks. Lighting design by Levi Wilkins is exact and appropriate, with changes in lights whenever Scrooge goes backward and forward in time and moves about from scene to scene. Sound design by Daniel Etti-Williams is ideal for the venue; the dialogue and singing are all crisp and clear.

In all, today’s performance of this highly acclaimed morality tale is candy to the eyes, ears, and spirit. Everything is done so well that the show is sure to delight the entire family! Of course, the adults in the room want to see their favorite villain transformed while their children learn a valuable lesson. Watching this play can draw out even the most hardhearted among us into changing ourselves for the better. How wonderful it is to see that goodness, generosity, and compassion can ultimately prevail! Thanks to all who made this timeless story come to life and such an incredible production possible.

“A Christmas Carol” is playing through December 24, 2023, at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center, 111 W. Campbell Street, in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Tickets are:

Performance Schedule:

Thursday, Nov 30th, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 1st, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 2nd, at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 2nd, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 3rd, at 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 7th, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 8th, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 9th, at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 9th, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 10th, at 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 14th, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 15th, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 16th, at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 16th, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 17th, at 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 21st, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 22nd, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 23rd, at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 23rd, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 24th, at 3:00 p.m.

American Sign Language Performance:
Thursday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Student Matinee Performances:
December 7, 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 10:00 a.m.

For more information, to purchase tickets, and to view the program, visit: https://www.metropolisarts.com/event/a-christmas-carol-2324-season/.

Note that the Vail Avenue parking garage, just behind the theatre, will be under construction during the month of November and part of December. As such, parts of various floors will be unavailable at times. A full list of parking options is available at https://cms2.revize.com/revize/arlington/Downtown_Shopper_Parking_V7.pdf.

The producers say that this show is ideal for children ages 5+, but to my mind, ages 7+ would be more appropriate. Children under 3 will not be admitted.

For additional information, please call the box office at 847-577-2121.

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