articles

Macaroni Review ~ A Christmas Carol

Playing at The Stage Theatre through December 28, 2014

By Leslie Risley, Macaroni Kid Thornton-Northglenn-Brighton-E. Westminster December 18, 2014

A Christmas Carol

Nov 28 - Dec 28, 2014

The Stage Theatre 
*CLICK HERE to purchase tickets*

   
If you are a fan of A Christmas Carol, then going to see the current production at The Stage Theatre is a given. If you are NOT a fan of A Christmas Carol, then hear me out, because I think you’re going to want to go see this one!
  
I have seen ten or so versions of A Christmas Carol on-screen. I believe I even read the book many years ago when I was in high school. I like the story, think it has a good message and all that, but its never been one of those stories that I have to revisit every holiday season. (Like “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Anyone else?) So I went to see the stage version of A Christmas Carol last weekend, expecting to like it, but not be blown away. Well, guess what? I loved it! The time flew by, and I even teared up at the end. It was seriously THAT good.
  
We all know the story of A Christmas Carol, so what made this version so good? For one, Philip Pleasants - who played Ebenezer Scrooge - gave me chills. He was so believable as the nasty, grumpy old man, and his transformation at the end was equally as enjoyable. The costumes and hairstyles were fabulous. The set was minimalistic but enough that you knew exactly where each scene was taking place, whether inside the office or someone’s home, or out in the cold December air. 
  
I was pleasantly surprised that there were musical numbers in this version of A Christmas Carol. Nothing Broadway-esque and flashy, just a few Christmas-y songs. The soloists had beautiful voices. There was even some comedy thrown in, which I totally was not expecting. The ensemble cast included several children, all of whom did a great job - prompting my own kiddo to ask how one gets into a play like that. 
  
The effects were impressive as well. Remember that A Christmas Carol is a ghost story. The ghosts were pretty believable through the use of lighting and fog. The first one was somewhat scary, but the rest were just ghostly.
  
I recommend A Christmas Carol to families with kids 8 years or older – at least in my case that was a good age. I think I’ve found a new Christmas tradition!
  
I received complimentary tickets for the purpose of writing this review.