Traditions exist to be comforting, and winter performances of “A Christmas Carol” are no exception.

Playing now through Dec. 29 at Syracuse Stage is a production of the familiar holiday tale that keeps tradition alive while changing things up just enough to be fresh and interesting.

Syracuse University students will recognize some familiar faces on stage. The play is a co-production with SU Drama and includes 19 students from the program. The cast also features nine local kids and professional actors, some of who are SU Drama professors.

This classic Christmas story brings Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella to the stage. It follows the iconic sourpuss Ebenezer Scrooge as he encounters a series of supernatural guides. In the course of the play, his experiences with them turn the miserly grump into a generous, festive benefactor.

Though the story focuses on an emotional transition, sometimes the cast seems only to be going through the motions. A few scenes feel stiff and over-rehearsed, and moments that should be climactic often fall flat. It is difficult to feel surprised when the various ghosts appear, and Scrooge’s interior monologues move too quickly to seem contemplative. The cast includes many young actors, so flawless pacing is not to be expected, but the more experienced actors struggle at times, too.

But what the cast lacks in fluidity and nuance, it makes up for in spirit. The varied group of professionals, students and kids appear enthusiastic and supportive of one another while telling the story. Together, this mix of performers creates a sense of joyous community that lights up the stage.

Peter Van Wagner stands out in the roles of Fezziwig and the Ghost of Christmas Present. His Santa Claus-like looks make him the perfect choice for the two jolly, good-natured characters. With impressive credits like an appearance in “West Side Story” at La Scala in Milan and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” Wagner anchors the cast as a seasoned professional.

SU senior musical theater major Dan Reardon is aptly cast as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred. The character is about as unlike his uncle as possible, and gleefully wishes Scrooge an insistent “Merry Christmas” early in the play. Reardon’s resonant tenor voice fits the happy character perfectly and provides an effective foil to Scrooge’s bad attitude.

Frequently performed classics like this one present a challenge in that they can often be too familiar. Surely, countless versions of “A Christmas Carol” are performed every year, so Syracuse Stage was wise to select a more contemporary adaptation.

The musical focus of this production effectively distinguishes it from others. Actors sing carols and background music, which help put the audience in a festive mood. The cast mostly sings a cappella, but local musician Joe Davoli, who was onstage dressed as a member of the ensemble, occasionally accompanies them with a fiddle or mandolin.

Romulus Linney created the adaptation of Dickens’ story in 1998 and aimed to create a version that could be presented with elaborate theatricality or clean simplicity, according to a Syracuse Stage press release.

Scenic designer Linda Buchanan took the latter approach, relying on linear scenery and just a few pieces of furniture to suggest locations. For example, Scrooge’s spirit-guided time travel fits well into the loosely defined spaces created by luminous projections on the stage’s backdrop.

More scenic highlights include Scrooge’s bed, which almost serves as a character itself. The mattress and four enormous bedposts glide on and off the stage with dizzying fluidity while its rich curtains part twice to reveal unexpected visitors. Later a transparent tombstone bearing Scrooge’s name emerges eerily from the stage’s floor, its glowing outline and engraving appearing to hover in space.

In the spirit of the holidays, Syracuse Stage is asking theatergoers to bring canned goods to each performance as donations to the food pantry of Christ Episcopal Church. In addition, cast members collect donations for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS as the audience exits.

With that generous spirit in the air, it will be hard for audiences to leave without feeling a bit of holiday cheer. Scrooges in the audience may yawn at the production’s predictability and occasional stiffness, but those attending with open hearts and a taste for holiday tradition will walk away smiling warmly with carols running through their heads.

Published on December 5, 2013 at 3:26 am

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