Christmas Carol, A

Thanks to a veritable army of cast members, technical production experts and a huge backstage crew of dressers, prop assistants. etc., the Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents its 38th annual production of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol.

Joining the cast again this year are notable regional actors such as Christopher Donahue as the stingy Ebeneezer Scrooge, the vivacious Melody Betts as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Renata Friedman as the scrawny, aging housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber. This minor holiday miracle also includes local repeats such as Jonathan Wainwright as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s legal clerk; and Jonathan Smoots, this time playing Scrooge’s former employer, Mr. Fezziwig.

One of Milwaukee Rep’s best-known actors, James Pickering, is also here, but in a character he has never played previously. Pickering is fondly remembered for playing the role of Scrooge for many seasons. This year, he swaps genders and returns as Mrs. Fezziwig. Although Pickering’s height makes his transformation obvious (even to the youngest audience members), he plays the part with relish and not a hint of camp.

Of course, since Dickens attempts to recreate the entire city of London in this show, many of the actors are doubled, or even tripled. Thankfully, the gilded, historic Pabst Theater, a former German opera house, has a stage large enough to accommodate this entire ensemble as well as the impressive sets.

The current production, directed once again by Aaron Posner, seems to bring out every bit of laughter possible in this tale of redemption and rejuvenation. For instance, when Scrooge crumples to the ground at the appearance of Marley’s ghost, he then scoots across the stage on his butt to put as much distance between himself and the scary spirit of his deceased partner.

There also seems to be a greater degree of animation among the characters. Jonathan Wainwright as Bob Cratchit (always a key player in this tale), seems spunkier than in years past. When a scruffy urchin appears unannounced in Scrooge’s office, wanting to sing a holiday carol in exchange for a few pennies, Cratchit hurries over to “rescue” the boy before he gets within Scrooge’s grasp. The boy, named Smudge, seems unfazed by this attempt. He wrestles away from Cratchit and again heads toward Scrooge’s desk. Thankfully, this time Cratchit is able to safely whisk the child out of harm’s way. The fact that Cratchit has six children of his own makes his actions entirely plausible in such a situation. (To make this early scene even more memorable, the child continues to chirp outside on the street until Scrooge snaps the blinds shut on each window.)

For his part, Christopher Donahue gives us a Scrooge who appears to be almost open- minded about his ghostly encounters. Although he professes not to be interested in the adventures ahead, his protests are said with a note of curiosity in his voice. At one point, when the Ghost of Christmas Present (Melody Betts) wants to leave a party scene at Scrooge’s nephew’s house, Scrooge basically throws a tantrum. “I want to stay! I want to stay!” he shrieks, until the ghost gives in.

The show’s one scary scene is the appearance of Marley’s ghost in Scrooge’s bedroom. More often, the production builds to dramatic heights by virtue of a sophisticated sound system coupled by complex lighting patterns. Younger audience members are more likely to be captivated by the glorious parade of spectacular costumes (which must number in the hundreds) and the large number of children cast in the show.

Among the best recent additions is the singing of traditional English carols. They are cleverly inserted throughout the production. One of the carols, the “Holly and the Ivy,” is a touchstone that works to link Scrooge’s past with the present. Perhaps the audience is meant to remember Christmas Carol’s timeless message whenever they hear the song in Christmases to come.