After a brief stint in bankruptcy brought on, in part, by last year's overblown musical production of "A Christmas Carol," the company had to rely on the good graces of local benefactors to bring it back to life.
The company has rewarded that kindness -- and the community -- just as Scrooge rewarded the Cratchits with that oversized Christmas turkey. In this case, it's with an elegant and entertaining version of "A Christmas Carol" that's worlds better than anything the company has done before.
Gone are the song-and-dance numbers that marked CTM founder Nancy Thurow's touchy-feely adaptation of Dickens' Christmas classic (and torpedoed last year's musical version). Gone, too, are the uneven performances: This is a professional-grade production, from the wonderful actors and costumes to the pro-caliber setting in the Overture Center's Capitol Theater.
Welcome to the big leagues, CTM.
Wily American Players Theatre veteran Robert Spencer is charged with bringing ol' Mr. Humbug to crotchety life, so it's hardly surprising that he's able to distill the poison in Scrooge's money-grubbing soul with relative ease. Spencer nails the quintessential Scrooge moments but also grasps the childlike glee with which Scrooge greets his transformation on Christmas morn.
The production is based on Romulus Linney's adaptation of Dickens, which not only hews far closer to the author's actual text, but makes few concessions to a younger audience, either in language or tone. While there's less froth and frivolity here, the message of redemption and charity in Scrooge's transformation comes through far more clearly.
Director Roseann Sheridan (also of APT) does a great job arranging the symmetry between the schoolboy Scrooge, singing a plaintive "First Noel," and the adult miser who beats away a caroler who dares to sing the same song.
The set by Nayna Ramey (hey, look, another APT vet) is a marvel of minimalism. Jagged fragments of doorways and windows drop from the rafters to hover in the air like reflections of Scrooge's fractured priorities. The ghosts, meanwhile, run the gamut from spooky to sensibly understated -- well, except perhaps the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a gigantic reaper-esque specter that dwarfs the stage and sends Scrooge a'quivering.
As CTM works to find firmer financial footing by trading its grassroots identity for a more professional sheen, is something lost into the bargain? Yes, probably.
But as Scrooge himself finally comes to understand each and every holiday season, sometimes you have to sacrifice to grow.
"A Christmas Carol" runs Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 to $34. Call 258-4141 or go to www.overturecenter.com.
