Deeper dive: A closer look at ‘A Christmas Carol’

In the video above, DCPA Theatre Company Costume Crafts Director Kevin Copenhaver talks with actor Darrell T. Joe about the transformation of Christmas Yet to Come into a taller, larger and more imposing figure for the company’s 2017 seasonal staging of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Video by DCPA Video Producer David Lenk and Senior Arts Journalist John Moore.

Note: In this daily series, we will take a deeper dive into the eight titles recently announced on the DCPA Theatre Company’s 2018-19 season. Today: A Christmas Carol

A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol

  • Written by Charles Dickens. Adapted for the stage by Richard Hellesen with music by David de Berry
  • Year: 1987
  • Director: Melissa Rain Anderson
  • Dates: Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 2018 (Opens Nov. 29)
  • Where: Stage Theatre
  • Genre: Victorian classic set to music
  • At a glance: Based on Charles Dickens’ populist novel, the Theatre Company’s joyous and opulent seasonal offering traces money-hoarding skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge’s triumphant overnight journey to redemption.
  • Says new DCPA Artistic Director Chris Coleman: “When I got to see this production in December, I was so excited about it. This company has put together a beautiful production that, frankly, is the best I’ve ever seen of this story. Clearly this version has resonated with Denver audiences for generations. This is a story about reclaiming a human heart — and I don’t think that ever gets old. But at its core, A Christmas Carol is a ghost story, and I think at the darkest time of year, when we’re so ready for the light to return, a ghost story makes really good sense. And this is a ghost story that’s really well told.”
  • He’s back: Denver theatre favorite Sam Gregory, presently starring as Joe Keller in the Arvada Center’s All My Sons through May 3, is scheduled to return for a third time playing Scrooge. “Sam is a great sport and a thoroughbred actor taking in the barrage and letting it move him nightly, moment by moment,” says director Melissa Rain Anderson, who also will be returning for her third staging.
  • More from the director: “For my first two stagings, it was important to focus on the clarity and impact of the ghosts. This year, I will continue to fine-tune that storytelling. My through-line for every actor and element on that stage (besides Sam) is to ‘assault’ Scrooge: That’s our only job: To awaken his soul. I believe every moment of the play can be funneled through that action. The ghosts do a lot of the assaulting, but other tactics are employed as well: The purity and joy of the children, the loyalty of Scrooge’s nephew Fred, the generosity of The Fezziwigs and the humanity and grace of Bob Cratchit.”
  • What the critics have said: “The evening ends in a kind of transformation — and not just Scrooge’s.” — Juliet Wittman, Westword. “Some stories stand the test of time by their persistent relevance. And in this respect, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is near the top of the list.” — Alex Miller, Vail Daily
  • Fun facts: The Theatre Company’s “almost annual” staging of A Christmas Carol now includes 25 stagings dating back to 1990. In that time, nearly 850,000 people have watched the timeless story here  … Last year, Peyton Goosen became the first young girl to play Tiny Tim in all of the DCPA stagings.
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