Review: A Christmas Carol

It seems as though everyone including Lionel Barrymore and Scrooge McDuck has played the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge over the years. Now it’s Greg Alexander’s turn in Buck Busfield’s somewhat twisted version of Dickens’ beloved Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol.

Busfield’s Christmas shows have become noted for their unusual twists and turns and this Christmas Carol, part of the B Street Family Series, is no different.

Alexander is aided by four talented actors listed as “ensemble.” Amy Kelly, Nestor Campos Jr., John Lamb and Megan Wicks play every character that’s not Scrooge, which often involves very quick costume changes.

In this version, Scrooge is tired of having to replay the familiar story every year for the past 173 years and decides to thwart the spirits by drinking tea to keep himself awake and thus avoid having to dream. The end result has lots of humor for adults who know the real story and plenty of physical comedy for the kids. The “intervention” which brings about Scrooge’s redemption this year is clever and very funny.