Globe Live and 9 Works Theatrical’s restaging of A CHRISTMAS CAROL creates an experience that embodies everything that Christmas today is about. This one returns to the stage with a more surprising overall emotional impact. On its London streets and houses, we see an ensemble representing more than a handful of of archetypal characters from start to finish, brandishing this tale with familiarity and relevance. And it is a sight to see. Ah! and its music, set, and performance resulting from a combination of humor, horror, and life is quality more than it’s worth.
This Charles Dickens novel has had several editions, translated into several languages, and adapted into various forms since its publication for a reason. Even thoughntended A CHRISTMAS CAROL to be a “ghost story,” its core remains to be releIt tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter old miser who soon became a changed man overnight through the visit of four ghosts: his long-deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Be.
Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens’ musical adaptation breathed new life into Dickens’ novel and allowed people of all backgrounds to experience what one may call #TheMiracleWithin.
This rerun of A CHRISTMAS CAROL takes us to a chilly but cheerful London town enlivened for Christmas and joyously brought to life through the direction of Robbie Guevara. Guevara and choreographers PJ Rebullida and Yek Barlongay seem to breeze through the challenge of directing a cast with a complex demographic to sing, act, and dance. Daniel Bartolome’s musical direction has always brought more than cheer to each staging. This year, his orchestration rhymes well with the restaging’s more focused and aligned direction, reaching out with clarity and relevance.
Theater veteran Miguel Faustmann returns as Ebenezer Scrooge, mastering the essence of a man whose circumstances made him bitter and gaunt. It is easy I suppose to sympathize with Scrooge as we all are in a way similar to him. Faustmann seems to have found the balance in his portrayal that one can easily hate him for his actions and at the same time, pray for his redemption.
For good reason, the four ghosts that visited Scrooge earned a standing ovation Sunday night. The magic of the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Be is that whether they are on Scrooge’s side or not, they have a mission to redirect his ways. The technical effects headed by Don Calingacion take the set from Scrooge’s room to a supernatural world in his dream with surprises that should be preserved for when people go to see it live. Franco Laurel, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, delivers his lines with impeccable spirit. You’ll somewhat hear an echo of his song even after Act 1! And while Nico Dans, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, appears like a phantasmal Santa Clause that young audiences will love to see, Rissey Reyes, plays the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be, delivers a hypnotically menacing performance.
Noel Rayos plays the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s long-deceased business partner, who warns him of the dark future in store for him if he continues on his dark path. His mere stage presence is enough to make one’s hair rise. He emanates so much hate, rage, and suffering that one may ask oneself how deep a chord such darkness could strike a soul. Despite Rayos’ raggedness, there is a certain grace in the way he wields his chains that’s hypnotizing.
This restaging offers a different experience from last year’s production. Though considerably bare and spartan compared to the extravagant sets from 2016, this one shines with more magic and myth, reliving Dickens’ tale with clarity and focus. If last year brought many cheers, this one makes the audiences sigh with the miracle of heartfelt nostalgia and silent gratitude. Something that Dickens’ wanted to tell us all along.
