On Theater: SCR’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ again beautifully ushers in the season

By Tom Titus

Nov. 30, 2017 12 PM PT

Back in 1980, the directors of South Coast Repertory thought it might be a good idea to mount a Christmas-themed show. So they assigned then-company member Jerry Patch to adapt Charles Dickens’ classic story “A Christmas Carol” for the stage.

To say the project succeeded would be a vast understatement. The show was a huge hit, so SCR decided to repeat it in 1981. The rest, as they say, is history — 38 years of it, with no end in sight, not as long as Hal Landon Jr. can somersault into his top hat.

Landon took on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in 1980 and has since gripped it as tightly as his character would clutch a gold coin. Likewise, John-David Keller has directed all the shows and has adopted the part of Mr. Fezziwig as his own.

Now, for the 38th year, “A Christmas Carol” is on stage at South Coast Repertory and hundreds of playgoers — most of them, in all probability, repeat visitors — are decking the SCR halls, many in red scarves, a signature prop in the show. For them, this is the official starting point for the holiday season.

Happily, this “Carol” still makes beautiful music. With a nucleus of returning regulars — Daniel Blinkoff, Gregg Daniel, Richard Doyle, Timothy Landfield, Jennifer Parsons, William Francis McGuire, Art Koustik — the show crackles with heartfelt humor and profound pathos.

Regular visitors searching for alterations from one year to the next may notice the increase in significant moments of silence early in the show as characters are established. Keller wisely prevents brisk performances by rote for the benefit of new patrons. Yeah, there are a few.

Landon, with nearly four decades of Scrooging to his credit, doubles down on his miserly character at the outset and seems to revel even more in the joy he distributes at the end. And, of course, he accomplishes his “hat trick” as an ebullient exclamation mark.

Blinkoff is a heart-tugging Bob Cratchit and McGuire spreads layers of holiday cheer as Scrooge’s nephew. Doyle and Landfield raise our spirits as the Christmas Past and Present ghosts, while Daniel is more frightening each year as the late Jacob Marley.

Parsons remains a somewhat sardonic joy as Mrs. Cratchit, while two actresses new to the show — Erika Schindele as Belle and Amelia White as Mrs. Fezziwig — acquit themselves admirably. Koustik, second only to Landon in production tenure, is a richly raunchy cider salesman and underworld fence.

The SCR technical wizards have been around since the beginning. The settings, which are whisked on and off stage with alacrity, are the commendable work of Thomas Buderwitz, while the period costumes were fashioned by Dwight Richard Odle. Donna and Tom Ruzika’s superior lighting and Drew Dalzell’s often-ominous sound effects add further atmospheric enrichment.

You may say, as my son and I invariably do, that now with “A Christmas Carol” on the boards, the holiday season is officially here. Raise your wassail glasses to another heartwarming experience at South Coast Repertory.