A.C.T.’s “Christmas Carol”, as originally staged by former artistic director Casey Perloff, is a beloved San Francisco tradition, full of magic and fun. It features familiar special effects that retain the power to thrill, a new generation of very young actors with each iteration, and familiar faces in the leads.
On the night I attended, James Carpenter portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge, as he has for decades, with relish, delivering malice and joy and pushing all the right buttons. Jomar Tagatac was again wonderful as Bob Cratchit, the Christmas spirits delivered laughter, chills, and thrills and Dan Hiatt was both funny and scary as the Ghost of Marley. Particularly charming and memorable was Sharon Lockwood as Scrooge’s maid, Mrs. Dilber, in a hilarious comic performance, reminescent of the great Irish character actress of the 1930s, Una O’Connor. In fact, the resemblance is great enough that I wonder whether Lockwood intended her characterization as a homage. It delights, regardless. In short, this Carol leaves nothing to be desired. It does the trick!
But I want to talk about my experience after the show. Leaving the theatre, filled with Christmas spirit, I was happy to see a sidewalk busker performing Christmas songs. He was not a young man, nor a clean one. His clothes were dusty, his manner a bit broken. He was missing teeth and looked pretty down and out. His singing, however, was superb, very professional and stylish. He relied on a cell phone karaoke machine to accompany him. I admit, I wasn’t going to stop, but his excellent voice and skillful phrasing grabbed me. I dropped $5.00 into his tip bowl and stepped back behind a pillar outside the Pinecrest Diner to enjoy his performance. The temperature was brisk and I was glad of my ugly but warm bright red Christmas sweater. Hundreds of audience members were streaming by as they exited the theatre. Nobody seemed to notice the obviously poor man singing his heart out. Several parents grabbed their children to pull them along the children stopped to listen,as their parents’ faces twisted in contempt. They appeared to have taken Ebenezer Scrooge as a model rather than a warning.
“Merry Christmas,” cried the man, between songs. “Welcome to San Francisco! I hope you enjoyed the theatre!” I heard nobody say “thank you” or “Merry Christmas” in return. It was not as if he was invisible. It was more like folks seemed to find him too disturbing to notice. Clearly, they didn’t want this man ruining their Christmas outing. Surely, I thought, they weren’t listening. His poor demeanor prevented them from appreciating either his kind greetings or notable art. Tears came to my eyes as I turned away to walk to my car.
Yes, indeed, A.C.T.’s “A Christmas Carol” was as marvelous as ever. Five stars for sure. An occasion to make memories for the audience.
But it seemed as if many had missed the point.
So, if you do go this year, have fun catching some Christmas spirit. But, please, as you leave the theater, and you notice a busker singing his heart out, stop and smile. Don’t let your face freeze into a disgusted sneer. And if your child stops to listen, let that be okay. You don’t have to drop a bill in the bowl, but you don’t have to grimace either. Please remember, with Marley, that “the dealings of our trade are but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of our business.”
Merry Christmas, readers! And God bless us, EVERY one!
_________________________________
Rating: ***** (For an explanation of Theatrestorm’s rating scale, click here.)
_________________________________
TheatreStorm 