RECOMMENDED
Three years ago, I reviewed my very first Goodman Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol” here at Newcity. I was captivated by Scrooge’s emotional character arc. This year, that fascination continued, yet Christopher Donahue’s Ebenezer Scrooge gave us something we desperately needed this particular holiday season: laughter. While other Scrooges have been funny, to be sure, Donahue’s physical comedy and line delivery make this show unique. In a year that has been, in so many ways, far from gleeful, I’m thankful that we have this production to lean on for our holiday cheer.
Directed by Malkia Stampley, the forty-eighth annual “A Christmas Carol” is not just a retelling of Scrooge’s fabled Christmas redemption. It is a reminder of our shared humanity in a year when so many of our friends and neighbors have been stripped of theirs by the powers that be. Suddenly, Scrooge’s Ghosts of Christmas Past (Lucky Stiff) and Christmas Present (Bethany Thomas) aren’t just figures in a story; they’re reminders to us, too. They remind us that our time here is fleeting and that what we do with it is paramount. That we have a duty to ourselves and our community, rooted in our shared humanity.
We see this realization quite clearly in Donahue. His movements in the earliest parts of the show are rigid and familiar. He wholly embodies the Scrooge we know—the one his neighbors know too. As the show goes on, he sheds that rigidity little by little until he is entirely free to be exuberant, jubilant, and live without the shackles that bound him. The transformation of movement alone is enough to make Donahue’s Scrooge captivating.
As is often the case with a show containing a cast this extensive, playing such a swath of characters, it’s impossible to succinctly give everyone credit where it’s due. Yet it would be remiss not to mention the effervescent Jon Hudson Odom as Bob Cratchit, Amira Danan as a gentle and loving Frida, or the utterly adorable Ella Boparai as Tiny Tim. While this entire cast is remarkable, these three are scene stealers time after time.
If you are struggling to get into the holiday spirit, I can’t blame you. I’ve felt the same. Yet I’d implore you to get lost in the traditions of this beloved story. Let your mind wander in the set designs of Todd Rosenthal, which bring Charles Dickens’ world to life. Feel the original music by Andrew Hansen. Allow yourself to be somewhere else for a little while.
I can assure you, upon your return, you’ll feel your spirit rejuvenated.
“A Christmas Carol” runs through December 31 at Goodman Theatre, 170 North Dearborn. Tickets start at $49, available at goodmantheatre.org or by calling (312)443-3800.
