He lost his pants!
Truly one of the best Scrooge moments during Judy Russell's production of A Christmas Carol held at the Playhouse until Dec. 22.
Gary Chappel took on the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge and in the final joyous scene, had to improvise as a crucial part of his costume was missing. He dealt with it brilliantly, much to the appreciation of the audience.
Chappel was the driving force in this production, portraying the character that transitions from miserable miser to generous contributor to the community.
Other strong performances came from Mark Wheeler, who played the ghost of Christmas present. The talent this man exudes carried the play nicely through each scene he was in and demonstrated his strength and experience perfectly.
Katherine Trepanier, who took on a couple of roles, always made herself known with her strong stage presence that audiences have admired for years.
Catherine Hansen McCarthy played the laundress who stole items from the deceased Scrooge. She was over-the-top wicked, portraying a woman without means doing dastardly deeds.
Jeff Kozoris, who played Bob Cratchit, was steadfast in his portrayal of the mild-mannered character in the employ of the despicable Scrooge.
Matt Russell took on the character of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's business partner, with great gusto. In chains as the character's ghost, he scared a little one in the audience and most of the rest of us, sending the clear message that being closed off and miserable was not the way to live one's life.
Judy Russell also took to the stage in this production, a rare thing indeed, and something audience members enjoyed. I would like to see more of her talent gracing performances.
As always, Russell's production had an innovative set, with two side-by-side revolving stage pieces that whirled around to showcase the many locations needed during the telling of this tale.
Lighting was wonderful and very dramatic, setting the tone of the play very nicely.
Always a strength and asset in any Judy Russell production, the choreographed dance scene of celebration was a big hit.
With the ups and downs of any preview night, there were definitely some glitches during the performance.
Novice actors in the cast lost their lines, upsetting the rhythm of some scenes. The revolving set collided with Scrooge at a crucial moment and pieces were left behind during a lightning round when sets were switched on the fly.
The play's adaptation was by Anna Russell, Judy's daughter-in-law. It definitely helps if you already know the classic Christmas story.
Her adaptation of the play is an accelerated version of the traditional tale and arguably the main character who is first seen as a mean-spirited miser, could have hung onto those personality traits a bit longer before coming to the realization that his wicked ways have led him down a solitary path of misery. That way, the impact of Scrooge's transformation would have brought a more powerful conclusion to the play.
The show is at the Prince George Playhouse today at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 18 to 21 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and evening performance at 7:30. Tickets are at Studio 2880.
