We know him, we love him: that wretched miser Ebenezer Scrooge, star of the Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol.” It’s a story that’s been adapted over 100 times in TV episodes and film. Now, Centenary Stage Company in Hackettstown has brought the 1994 musical adaptation, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Lyn Ahrens, to the Sitnik Theater.
And it’s a winner. With a hard-to-resist combination of old-school theatrical magic and inspired modern touches, Centenary’s production reminds us why we love this story so much.
You remember how it goes. Christmas Eve has come to 1800s London, but notorious curmudgeon and consummate miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Fleischer) wants nothing to do with it. He sneers, he guffaws, he waves off charitable requests with a dismissive hand. When Fleischer lets out his first deliciously guttural “Bah” in an early scene, it hits all the right Scroogey buttons.
After a hard day of snarling at charity workers, old women and children, Scrooge changes into his iconic nightcap to prepare for a cozy lie-in. Instead, he’s greeted by a Beetlejuice-esque visit from his deceased partner, Jacob Marley (Cody Jackson). His three famous ghostly visitors arrive soon after and, one by one, each delivers their own unique brand of Christmas magic.
Spectacular Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future
Megan Schmeidhauser flits in first as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Effervescent and high-energy, she narrates the tragedies of Scrooge’s past like a fairy version of Effie Trinket of the “Hunger Games.” The scenes featuring the good times bubble with energy and zest, especially the glorious frivolity at Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball. It makes you wonder how to get invited next year.
Next in the supernatural parade comes Kai Vialva as a swaggering Ghost of Christmas Present. He’s a robust presence with all the marks of a good drinking buddy, the one who knows your best stories because he was there. Vialva’s full-throated commitment fills the character with vitality, with the final result feeling uniquely inspired.
That creative spark shines from Arianna Cacioppo’s Ghost of Christmas Future, too. The character may be mute as ever, but she’s far from uncommunicative. Instead of saying what she means, she dances. Her movements are so imposingly expressive that, as her dance intensifies in time with Scrooge’s dawning awareness of his grim future, she seems imbued with unearthly power — like a Greek Fate, terrible and awe-full in the ancient meaning of the word.
Modern, Fresh Telling of an Old Tale
This is a heightened world that Centenary has built for us. Costume designer Jolene Richardson’s work splashes a rich array of hues across the stage, especially during the kinetic dance numbers. Set designs by Vincent Gunn strike that storybook note of reality-adjacent but whimsical, following the geometry of fairytale. The choreography by director Michael Restaino invokes everything from stately paired dances to modern tap. In his director’s notes, found via the digital playbill, Restaino writes that he wanted to update the classic. His take adds fresh surprises without sacrificing any of the classic’s charm or emotional power.
For that, we can also thank Fleisch for his understated, all-too-human Scrooge. The sneers of his first scenes give way to softness while he witnesses moments from his past. As his younger incarnation proposes to a lost love, our older Scrooge mouths the words. It’s a subtle moment, and it’s all heart.
Then there’s the first time Fleisch hits the high notes in “Christmas Together.” Nope; I can’t describe it further without reaching for the tissues. His vulnerability is almost unbearable in the final scenes, when he showers generosity on Bob Cratchit (Sebastian Antonio with some hilarious physical comedy) and dares to risk human connection again.
See It Before It Closes!
Centenary’s show lives up to its billing as an uplifting family holiday spectacular. Even if you’ve already seen the Muppets version this season, head to the theater and let this show win you over. It won’t take long. With splendid costume and set design, inspired choreography, rousing music and a cast that well-deserved their standing ovation on a packed Sunday matinee viewing, this production taps into the finest holiday magic of all: heart.
Centenary Stage Company presents “A Christmas Carol” through Dec. 15 at Sitnik Theater in Hackettsown. For tickets or for more information, visit https://www.centenarystageco.org/a-christmas-carol.
Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
