"A Christmas Carol" - Adaptation by Troy Siebels - Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts (Worcester, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Jon J. Peterson as the "Ghost of Jacob Marley" in "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through December 23. Photo Credit Erb-Dufault Photography)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“While there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour." - Charles Dickens
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
Presents the 15th Anniversary
of its Annual Production of
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"
Written by Charles Dickens
Adapted and Directed by Troy Siebels
Musical Director & Organist Timothy Evans
Choreography by Ilyse Robbins
Cast Includes: Ajay Jain, John Little*, Shelly Fawson, Sriram Emani, Tyler Bellmon*, Tye Roberson*, Steve Gagliastro*, Anita Hollander*, Jon J. Peterson*, Lillian Rogers, Abigail Sanborn, Eva Ferreira, Amelia Kocou, Christopher McIntyre, Daniel Reardon*, Annie Kerins*, Marta Rymer*, Channing Rion, Alka Nayyar*, Sahana Sankar, Wirat Raj Garikapati, Alexis Any Thakkallapalli, Vrinda Radhika Vaidyanathan, Laura D. DeGiacomo*, Brad Reinking, Alison Russo*, Mark Linehan*, Dante Gentile.
Additional Creative Team: Associate Director/Associate Music Director – Steve Gagliastro*; Associate Director/Associate Choreographer – Annie Kerins*; Set Designer – James Kronzer+; Costume Designer – Gail Astrid Buckley+; Lighting Designer – Charlie Morrison+; Sound Designer – Nick Joyce; Flying Effects – ZFX, Inc.; Production Stage Manager – Erin Joy Swank*; Assistant Stage Manager – Cate Agis*; Assistant Stage Manager – Melissa Daroff*; VP Operations and Production – Lisa Hackman; Production Manager – Chadyn Case; COVID-19 Safety Officer – Lisa Wondlolowski; Production Assistants – Alyssa Morales; Wardrobe Supervisor – Dianna Reardon; Master Electrician – Brenda Shepard; Head Carpenter – Mark Apholt; Rehearsal Accompanist – Jim Rice; Assistant Costume Designer – Ryan C. Goodwin; Puppet Hand Fabricators – Chadyn Case, Amanda Bohart; South Asian Cultural Consultant – Alka Nayyar*; Dialect Consultant – Christine Hamel*; Child Supervisor – Lyndsey Hawkes.
Presented at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester.
For More Information:
877-571-SHOW (7469)
info@thehanovertheatre.org
Performances:
December 17, 2022 through December 23, 2022
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
*This performance includes live music on the Mighty Wurlitzer before the show!
Recommended for ALL ages!
+ Member of United Scenic Artists
*Member of the Actor’s Equity Association Performers in this production are members of Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
*Audio Description and ASL services available at the Sunday, December 18 matinee performance, 1 pm.
(If you are using ASL services, please let the ticket office know when you are ready to purchase tickets, so we can place you in seats in front of the ASL interpreter.)
Tickets are $28, $48 and $58 depending on seat location.
Discounts are available for Broadway subscribers. Please contact the box office at 877-571-SHOW (7469) for more information.
This year, the Worcester staple celebrates 15 years of Hanover Theatre Executive Director Troy Siebels’ live "Christmas Carol" adaptation of the iconic holiday tale by Charles Dickens.
Audiences will once again enjoy the mammoth, elaborately designed sets, beautifully period-consistent costumes, solid choreography, incredible lighting and special effects and traditional holiday carols that help move the story along.
Like that first sip of hot chocolate or last-minute frantic shopping at the mall, this holiday season, theatregoers will, once again, be entertained by the uniquely inventive production that is The Hanover Theatre’s annual production of "A Christmas Carol."
This year's adaptation also continues its predilection for ongoing text evolution as Siebels continues to experiment, tweak and modify the production in order to maintain a high level of relevancy in an ever-changing world.
Contributing to this evolution is the decision to have South Asian representation in the form of "Bob Cratchit" and the "Cratchit Family."
Returning from last year's production as "Bob Cratchit" is Sriram Emani who is back for his second production of “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” at The Hanover Theatre.
Emani conveys an affable quality to the unrelentingly optimistic Cratchit who, in spite of a cruel employer, horrendous working conditions, oppressive poverty and an ailing child, never loses sight of the true blessings he does have in his life - his family.
The entire Cratchit family engages in their respective scenes as a typical South Asian family of the time period - which, in turns, brings the audience closer into the lives of the Cratchits, as a result.
It is an effective and thought-provoking supplement to the production which adds fascinating new layers to the entire Cratchit family history.
(Photo: John Little as "Ebenezer Scrooge" and Tye Roberson as "The Ghost of Christmas Present" in "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through December 23. Photo Credit David Costa Photography)
For “A CHRISTMAS CAROL,” this particular tale is probably the most known story by Charles Dickens in the world, which is saying something given the late author's other credits (“The Pickwick Papers,” “Oliver Twist,” “Nicholas Nickleby,” “David Copperfield,” “Bleak House,” “Little Dorrit,” “A Tale of Two Cities,” “Great Expectations”).
Each year, the play’s adapter and director, Troy Siebels, updates the show while still maintaining its original and traditional charm and performance that Worcester residents and other Hanover theatregoers have come to expect.
Added in is a Sanskrit chanting of a mantra during a critical scene, underscored by the "Coventry Carol," thus heightening the impact of the moment.
With South Asian culture represented, the concept of what is was like for Cratchit and others to be a South Asian immigrant at that time living and working in Dickensian London is enlightening.
Taking on the monumental role of miserly "Ebenezer Scrooge" this year is actor John Little, who brings a magnificent, finely tuned energy to every moment he is on stage.
Jon J. Peterson convincingly portrays the anguished spirit of "Jacob Marley" who appears to warn Scrooge about visits by three spirits.
The scene was, once again, a true technical highlight of the show from the moment Marley "drops in."
(Photo: Jon J. Peterson as the "Ghost of Jacob Marley" in "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through December 23. Photo Credit Erb-Dufault Photography)
Returning this year to play the spirits are Lillian Rogers as the ethereal "Ghost of Christmas Past" (also appearing as a “Match Girl”), Tye Roberson as the jovial "Ghost of Christmas Present" (also doubling as a “Charitable Gentleman”) and Mark Linehan as the soul-stirring “Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.”
All perform their roles with great conviction and easily hold the attention of the audience as the immortal tale of Scrooge's reformation is conveyed.
In this 15th Anniversary production, Siebels’ comprehensive rendering of the Dickensian story using the ensemble serving as narrators continues.
The chorus blends returning cast with new and diverse voices, guided by longtime "CHRISTMAS CAROL" veteran, Associate Director and Associate Music Director Steve Gagliastro, and under the accomplished music direction, once again, of Timothy Evans (who also plays the Mighty Wurlitzer).
(Photo: The CAST of "A CHRISTMAS CAROL," playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. through December 23. Photo Courtesy of the Hanover Theatre)
The ensemble is just as strong as they have been in years past - and the traditional choreography by Ilyse Robbins continues to help move Siebel's adaptation along seamlessly.
The use of traditional musical selections, dazzling technical effects and an overall welcoming visual ambience, add to the 15th Anniversary celebration of the Hanover Theatre production.
Recommended for ALL ages – however, added is what has become an "annual caution:"
Some may find the scenes with "Marley's" plummeting ghostly chains and the “Ghost of Christmas Future” disturbing and downright scary. Therefore, young children should make sure their parents remain calm.
There is great cultural diversity represented in "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" which, in turn, showcases the best that comes from a unified collective of a plural society and multiple cultures.
It also, perhaps, might prompt discussions for some to explore learning and obtaining a better understanding of those cultural differences.
The heartwarming 15th anniversary production of the Hanover Theatre's "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" will continue through December 23rd.
Approximately two hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
(VIDEO CLIP: A previous performance of "A CHRISTMAS CAROL," returning to the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA. Courtesy of the Hanover Theatre)
ABOUT THE SHOW
"God bless us everyone!"
Celebrate the holiday season with New England’s largest production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
You know the story and love the message, but you’ll never see another Christmas Carol like this!
Adapted by president and CEO Troy Siebels and featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, our annual production returns to the main stage with timeless music, colorful costumes and spectacular lighting and scenery.
New and returning cast members tell the tale of curmudgeonly miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the Spirits of Christmases Past, Present and Yet To Come.
The show is refined and revised each year to feature more magic than ever before, with an array of spectacles from smoke and fog to spectacular flying stunts.
Be sure to get seated early to enjoy a pre-show concert featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, the largest and most versatile theatre pipe organ in New England, led by A Christmas Carol music director Tim Evans.
COVID-19 PROTOCOL
Most recent Hanover Theatre safety protocol details may be found here:
https://thehanovertheatre.org/plan-your-visit/safety-protocols/
