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A Christmas Carol opens tonight at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Matthew Warchus’ production of Charles Dickens’ immortal classic, adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne stars Tony-winner Michael Cerveris as Scrooge. Read the reviews!
The cast includes George Abud as Fred, Dario Esteban Alvarez as Understudy, Michael Cerveris as Scrooge, Maxim Chlumecky as Young Ebenezer, Dashiell Eaves, Chris Hoch as Father / Marley, Julia Knitel as Belle, Crystal Lucas-Perry as The Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs. Fezziwig, Micah Fay Lupin as Tiny Tim, Ashlyn Maddox as Little Fan, Madalynn Mathews as Jess, Nancy Opel as Ghost of Christmas Past, Dan Piering as Ferdy / George, Izzy Elena Rita as Tiny Tim, Celia Mei Rubin as Understudy, Rashidra Scott as Mrs. Cratchit, Teddy Trice as Nicholas and Paul Whitty as Fezziwig. The production is co-directed for the PAC NYC stage by Thomas Caruso.
On a bitter Christmas Eve night, a cold-hearted miser is visited by four ghosts. Transported to worlds past, present and future, Ebenezer Scrooge witnesses what a lifetime of fear and selfishness has led to and sees with fresh eyes the lonely life he has built for himself. Can Ebenezer be saved before it’s too late?
Sara Holdren, Vulture: The director Matthew Warchus swathes the production in flourishes, many of them at least partly charming: a galaxy of warm, twinkling lanterns suspended above the stage; a preshow in which the company plays carols and tosses cookies and clementines to the audience; showers of brightly lit foamy snow that will actually melt on your face. But there’s no disguising Thorne’s limp, self-satisfied script, which feels less magical than simplistically Freudian. A Christmas therapist’s couch.
Michael Sommers, New York Stage Review: Prettily dressed in flowery patchwork attire as the spirits who wise up Scrooge is an admirable trio: Ashlyn Maddox possesses a luminous quality and Crystal Lucas-Perry is a fiery, no-nonsense presence spiked with a Caribbean accent, but the weary graciousness that Nancy Opel exudes as a motherly Ghost of Christmas Past is haunting. So touching in her recent Tony-nominated performance in Dead Outlaw, Julia Knitel lends a genuine sensibility to Belle both as a feisty girl and a wise matron. Izzy Elena Rita presents quite a valiant Tiny Tim. The ensemble work by the 15-member company looks as good, if not better, than Broadway standard. Their bell-ringing reprise after the bows sends the audience out with smiles.
Deb Miller, DC Theater Arts: Under the imaginative conception and direction of Matthew Warchus (with co-direction by Thomas Caruso for PAC NYC), it’s a magical experience that is sure to enchant even the most crotchety among us, brimming with warmth, good cheer, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Austin Fimmano, New York Theatre Guide: It’s Christmastime in the city, and you can hear the silver bells ring off Broadway in A Christmas Carol — quite literally. Of the many traditional carols performed in this production, those performed with a full bell choir stunned my audience into awed silence. And shock and awe are just the beginning of the emotions this evocative production hopes to stir up.
Ryan Leeds, One-Minute Critic: Countless actors have assumed the epochal role of Ebenezer Scrooge in various film, television, and stage versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. While many have done so with excellence, few have come close to handling this challenge with more grounded realism than two-time Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris.
Average Rating:
74.0%
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