REVIEW: Old Vic’s ‘Christmas Carol’ sets up its lanterns once again in NYC
Photo: Nancy Opel stars in The Old Vic’s production of A Christmas Carol, now playing at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Photo courtesy of Andy Henderson / Provided by Polk & Co. with permission.
NEW YORK — The Old Vic’s production of A Christmas Carol is one of the most glorious holiday offerings to ever grace a stage in this or any generation. The unique interpretation of Charles Dickens’ classic text is brought to wondrous life by director Matthew Warchus and playwright Jack Thorne, and thankfully the production, after taking a few years off from the Big Apple, is back in New York City, this time at the relatively new digs of the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) at the World Trade Center in Downtown Manhattan.
What makes this Christmas Carol so effective is how simple staging concepts heighten the language of the play. A dizzying array of lanterns hang from the ceiling, serving as accentuating light to the action playing out below. The stage is a unique cross shape, allowing for varied entrances and exits. Simple door frames ascend and descend with ghostly silence, building the house of Ebenezer Scrooge and then just as quickly taking it away. The cast break the fourth wall and offer the audience snacks of gingerbread cookies and clementines.
There’s nothing quite like The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol.
This year’s production stars Michael Cerveris as Scrooge. He’s a veteran of the Broadway stage and offers a powerful performance as the curmudgeon, Grinch-like character. He plays the role as all business, someone who won’t lift his head from his accounting desk and who makes Bob Cratchit (Dashiell Eaves) work on Christmas Day.
Of course, Scrooge undergoes a transformation as he’s visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve. First, it’s his old partner, Marley (Chris Hoch), who appears with a parade of chains tethering him to some netherworld. The sound effects and lighting are pitch-perfect to make Marley’s entrance and exit scary and unsettling. Then there’s a succession of three more ghosts: Christmas Past (Nancy Opel), Christmas Present (Crystal Lucas-Perry) and Christmas Future (best to keep this one a secret).
What a clever choice the producers made by casting this year’s Christmas Carol with so many theatrical giants. It’s a joy to have Opel, Lucas-Perry, Eaves and so many other talented actors in the cast. These are some of the hardest-working performers on stage today, and their presence elevates the material. Ditto for Cerveris, who is an inspired choice for the central role.
This rendition of Dickens’ words never fails to elicit tears in this reviewer’s eyes. There are moments of magical wonder throughout the play, but especially in the culminating moments, when so many images pull on the heartstrings, both in the sad direction and the joyous direction. And again, that’s impressive because this story is so well known, and perhaps audiences might think the show couldn’t work its charm after yet another retelling. Nope, this one works and completely taps into the emotion and importance of sharing this tale of an isolated bully becoming a changed man.
Let’s hope that The Old Vic’s production of A Christmas Carol is a continued presence in New York City for years to come.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
A Christmas Carol, starring Michael Cerveris as Ebenezer Scrooge, is directed by Matthew Warchus and written by Jack Thorne. Performances at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) at the World Trade Center in Downtown Manhattan continue through Sunday, Jan. 4. Running time: 2 hours and 5 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.
