Ocean State Media afternoon host Mareva Lindo and producer James Baumgartner give their review of “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep, based on the classic Charles Dickens tale about the perils of wealth and the virtue of generosity.
TRANSCRIPT:
Mareva Lindo: It’s the 49th year Trinity has put on the show, which they do a little differently each year. James, how familiar are you with this story?
James Baumgartner: I’ve only seen one previous Trinity production in 2023, so most of my Dickens experience comes from the classic black and white film adaptations that played on cable TV throughout December when I was young.
Lindo: I’ve seen a few versions on TV as well when I was young, probably a little later than when you saw them. And my favorite version is, of course, “The Muppet Christmas Carol.”
Baumgartner: Which I haven’t seen. I have to see that this year.
Lindo: Yeah, we have to fix that. We have to fix that. And I’ve never seen any stage production, including Trinity. So this was a first for me. Okay, so you’ve seen this play by Trinity once before. What did you think of this production, and how did it compare to the previous one?
Baumgartner: The production I saw two years ago was very enjoyable, but this year, they surpassed all of my expectations. They do a new production every year, and it’s got to be difficult, because the audiences need something a little different every year, but it still needs to be traditional as well, and I think they threaded that needle perfectly with this year’s production. Trinity’s larger theater is being renovated right now, so for the first time, they’re showing it in the smaller Dowling Theater. This makes for a more intimate performance, because you are right up there with the actors, and the performances are excellent. All around, “A Christmas Carol” is always going to be a morality tale designed to pull at your heartstrings, and they certainly do that here. But there are some more subtle moments in this production. Taavon Gamble plays the ghost of Christmas present, and he brings a joyous, bacchanalian energy to the role, but there’s just a hint of pathos to this ghost as well. Most of the film adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” focus on Ebenezer Scrooge as the abusive employer of Bob Cratchit, and we certainly see that in this version. But the play also takes time for us to see Scrooge’s relationship with his nephew Fred. And after the three spirits have helped Scrooge change his heart, he goes to his nephew’s Christmas party and Fred welcomes him immediately despite their strained relationship. It’s a beautiful moment of holiday reconciliation.
Lindo: Yeah, I would agree with a lot of that. I don’t have a lot of other stage productions to compare this to, as I mentioned, but I thought it was, overall, just a lovely version of the story that feels as relevant today as ever. A real standout for me was the narrator, played by Nate Dendy. He punctuates the play with these moments of stage magic and sleight of hand, like pulling a lighted candle out of his pocket or helping the ghost of Christmas present almost appear out of thin air. I’ll add that not every version of this play has music, but you can expect several musical numbers, including some holiday classics you might know. Mid-November is a little bit early for me to embrace Christmas music – though I do enjoy some of it quite a bit – but I found myself getting into the spirit the second I walked in, when carolers greeted me at the door, all in costume.
Baumgartner: And I got there too early to see the Christmas carolers, so I’m going to have to go again. “A Christmas Carol,” directed by Richard and Sharon Jenkins, is on now at Trinity Rep through Dec. 31. And in the spirit of the play, this season Trinity is partnering with the Rhode Island Foundation to support the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
More information about “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity Rep.
Music: “Cherry Tree Carol”, trad., by Nowell Sing We Clear
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In this week’s edition of the Weekend 401: An exhibit explores the stories of the oldest continuously operating jail in the country, folk music from the Faux Paws, two classical music concerts to choose from, and “A Christmas Carol” is back at Trinity Rep.
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