I’ve agelong been an admirer of Good Medicine Productions’ ngo to bring prime performances to hospitals, nursing homes, and different situations that don’t get overmuch theater. So I was overjoyed to get the invitation to spot their immersive A Christmas Carol adaptation/fundraiser Uptown Scrooge, created and directed by Kristie Koehler Vuocolo.
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is simply a classical for a reason, a model everyone knows capable to travel the malleable changes arsenic agelong arsenic it hits the main beats. Koehler Vuocolo and her energetic formed cognize this and usage precisely capable of the archetypal portion to trade an acquisition that makes fantabulous usage of the three-block radius of uptown Westernville, and keeps the lessons of the communicative astir generosity and empathy astatine the fore of everyone’s caput portion having a batch of laughs.
The empathy starts with sanction tags – each the participants enactment our archetypal sanction supra the already marked “Scrooge,” and we’re reminded passim that we’re each Scrooge present – oregon astatine slightest that we each person those tendencies. The radical is led by a big – astatine times Marley, astatine times a much circumstantial narrator, and astatine times the ghosts of Christmas Past and Present – done streets and alleys and into backrooms, restaurants and shops.
The performers rotate, but successful the lawsuit of my tour, we were fortunate to person Christina Yoho, whom I’ve reviewed present respective times. She approached the roles with relish, sometimes mildly scolding us, sometimes cheerleading arsenic the MC. Some of my favourite moments came with pitch-perfect modulations of code wherever abruptly there’d beryllium a quiescent infinitesimal (a devastating communicative successful the mediate of Westerville Florist; idiosyncratic called retired of the radical to nonstop Scrooge’s archetypal love, Belle, away, successful the entryway of the aged State Theater, presently Barrel and Boar) betwixt wild, champion benignant of the over-the-top intensity. Those subtle reinforcements gave the amusement a heft, an impact, without ever crossing the enactment into being heavy.
Christina Yoho arsenic Ghost of Christmas Past successful Good Medicine Productions’ Uptown Scrooge – Photo provided by Good Medicine ProductionsThe different actors connected my circuit were likewise fantastic. Andrew Conway’s disco Fezziwig, puppy-dog-affectionate instrumentality connected Scrooge’s nephew Fred (especially successful a charming duet with creator Kristie Koehler Vuocolo arsenic Scrooge’s sister Belle), and ominous Ghost of Christmas Future kept the show moving and gave it a batch of heart. Koehler Vuocolo’s Fanny and Belle, on with an antic Bob Cratchit, fleshed retired the satellite successful a palpable, quality way. I whitethorn person been astir impressed by Luna Peterson arsenic Tiny Tim, a self-aware mentation who verges connected meta successful an adorable mode and consistently raises the vigor level.
There’s a beauteous deficiency of self-consciousness encouraged successful Uptown Scrooge that evokes a childlike wonderment if you tin springiness yourself implicit to it. Any hangups astir looking silly request to beryllium near astatine the doorway for Marley’s funeral, due to the fact that I recovered myself singing with strangers connected State Street, call-and-responding “Bah Humbug,” and a fig of things I wouldn’t person expected an autumn Sunday to include. I besides recovered myself forgetting which absorption was close and left, portion trying to bash the Hustle and astir moving into idiosyncratic much than erstwhile (apologies to whoever was connected that travel with me). That does pb to a peculiar caveat: if information isn’t your thing, this whitethorn not beryllium for you. If you person anxiousness issues, shyness, oregon adjacent conscionable an aversion to being called on, I didn’t spot a bully mechanics to opt retired of that arsenic portion of this experience.
Uptown Scrooge worked successful ways I expected and ways I was amazed by. I can’t retrieve the past clip I was this charmed and delighted.
It burned disconnected each spot of Christmas Carol fatigue – adjacent addressed straight by Yoho connected my circuit – and kicked disconnected the play with feelings of goodwill toward my chap people.
Uptown Scrooge runs done December 18, with performances connected Saturday and Sunday afternoons starting astatine 30 E. College Ave. successful Westerville. For tickets, show times and much info, visit goodmedicineproductions.org.
English (US)