HCTO’s Final CHRISTMAS CAROL Is a Triumph

OREM — Jim Collins’ best selling book “Good to Great” discusses principals that separate good companies from those that are truly great. One of the things that gets in the way of both good business and good theatre becoming great is the acceptance that things are good. It’s a good show, why change it? It’s a good business, why grow it? I’m a good person, why mix it up?

In what is the company’s 250th – and last show from Hale Centre Theatre Orem before the company transitions to their beautiful new space “The Ruth” – HCTO ended the season the way it has for so many years; by doing a production of A Christmas Carol. But for this farewell sendoff, HCTO’s creative team, led by director David Morgan, chose to take artistic risks and push what is often described as a good show, in an attempt to make it a great one. This high stakes choice was a success.

Charles Dickins wrote A Christmas Carol as social commentary having been forced to drop out of school as a boy to work as his family members had experiences in debtors’ prisons. The story is not kind to real estate tycoons and golden parachuted bankers and executives who do good, or even great business. “Mankind was my business!” has been quoted on December stages for more than a century. In this production, David Morgan understood the assignment and delivered a potent, and at times truly scary, message about the damning greed of the play’s Scrooge leading up to the beginning.

The first few scenes featured a grim sounding disembodied narrator and actors who silently move through the play’s opening action. It tells a clear story and gives a picture of the man Scrooge before a single word is said. The opening act proceeds with regular dialogue and traditional plot points, but without dawdling or belaboring the acting for audience response or engagement. The story was clear because actors knew what they were doing, scene changes were clear and crisp, and the story beats felt high stakes.

The scene leading up to Scrooge’s first encounter with Marley was excellent, and utilized sound, lighting, and exceptional acting to tell the story. I loved so much the choice to have the ghost of Christmas past be an actor on stage, but pre-recorded, ethereal sound. By the time Scrooge reaches the ghost of Christmas present, he is deeply shaken instead of simply being nostalgic. In addition to high praise for Morgan’s directing, this entire first act success has a slew of worthy tributes.

Morgan Gunter was a physically exceptional ghost of Marley. He was dreadful to watch in the best way possible. Ondine Morgan-Garner was a charming and heart-breaking Belle whose two scenes were resonant and told the story of a love sparked and abandoned quickly and profoundly. Channing Heiner’s Christmas past was exceptionally poised for a child actor and the physical storytelling was simple but profound. All of this was supported by the strong character work of Mark Fossen who never undercut the ending change of heart. He allowed the story to progress before he was change, and when he finally was, it was deeply cathartic. I was profoundly moved by his line, “I do not deserve such happiness” because for one of the only times in a production of a Christmas Carol, I believed he meant it when the line was delivered.

The one thing that I would cut without blinking from the first act were the new songs. The script by Cody Hale excellently wove traditional Christmas music into the narrative in ways that seemed authentic. It felt like the songs were there to tell the story and move action forward. However, new songs such as “I Was a Boy” in Act 1 and “Am I That Man” in act 2 crashed the play to a screeching halt emotionally and in terms of the plot. That’s no fault of the creative team, just a weak addition to an otherwise excellent script and story. The audience already got the character’s depth and sorrow and the song didn’t advance the plot forward. Most of the new songs likewise were unnecessary additions that gummed up the gears of an otherwise well oiled machine, but that one in particular felt like a wrench. Genuinely, that’s my only complaint about the entire show. Tech, Direction, Acting, Singing, Writing. All of it. All exceptional and moving. Cut those songs – redundant in terms of story and emotion, without adding anything new – and you have a flawless show.

I have to sing the praises of so many actors in this show. Jacob Baird was an exceptional Fred. Fred is so often played as unflappably cheery, but Baird made the character a determined hopeful instead. Fred was given the space as a character to taunt his uncle enjoyable, be frustrated and surprised at being spurned, but always ended up hopeful and gracious about the only living predecessor he had. Bryson Smellie – who seems to be in half of what I review lately – was a fantastic Bob Cratchit. He was meek, kind, but fatherly and protective. Smellie’s performance as Bob made me want to be a better dad. The Cratchit family and Carolers were all strong ensemble who elevated the story, kept the stakes high, and brought exactly what the show needed in the moments they were on stage. I can’t think of a single actor who was less than stellar in this show.

So too for the technical work. I’m always a sucker for great lighting, and so much of this show was enhanced by lights. I loved the lit stained glass murals for each ghost in their time with Scrooge. Lighting designer Emma Belnap also used darkness exceptionally well to create moods in the intimate space and allow for a pair of truly impressive transitions with ghosts. It was creative and kept me off balance even as I watched for these elements. So, too, with an immersive and tone setting soundscape from Richie Trimble. Speakers throughout the space were optimized to send ghosts whispering through the audience. Resonant sound effects, both pre-recorded and live, were expertly done. So often what makes a sound design noticeable is what is unsuccessful, but I had almost a dozen “wow” notes about the sound alone in this production. My two nits to pick are that the music was a little too loud early in the show (understandable for an opening night), and that a sequence where pre recorded sound would stop and start was very clearly a paused and played track as the actor interacted with sound.

Exceptional hair/makeup work – particularly on the ghastly Marley – from Melinda Wilkes, and truly phenomenal costuming from Christa Didler. I was deeply impressed by how many variations on red/green patterns and fabrics Didler used for the Carolers without costumes clashing or feeling uncoordinated. It was like a tapestry of Christmas season decor. I loved the subtle choice to keep all of the Cratchit family in black after Tim’s death, and the humor tied to Scrooge putting on his nightcap that was a unique harmony of costume, acting and sound. Technically tight and fantastic show with, again, praise for all elements including projections, props, sets and stage management.

I was not surprised that HCTO’s production of “A Christmas Carol” was good. I was impressed by the ways in which it was great. It is a risk to break with tradition, make a more pointed story, and take risks from what an audience base might expect. In my opinion, it worked exceptionally well. Bravo.