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| Malia Tippets, Jared Mack, Joe Theissen, Tim Blough, Sarah Maines, Jade Tate, Jackson Wells, and Jeffrey Childs. Photo by Sam Ortega |
By Tina Arth
I love the holiday season, but the avalanche of shows around
the beginning of December can be a bit overwhelming. Broadway Rose, not
surprisingly, hit just the right note by opening A 1940’s Radio Christmas Carol Thanksgiving weekend, at least a
week ahead of the rest of the crowd. More importantly, from a pack of five in
recent years, theirs is the most charming, touching, and musically thrilling
(some of the harmonies gave me chills!) take on the “Radio Christmas Carol”
genre I’ve seen – with no sacrifice in the quality of the comedy. The
collaboration between director Dan Murphy and musical director Jeffrey Childs
creates a seamless flow between the show’s musical, dramatic, and comic
elements – with some unexpected twists that keep the audience on its toes.
It’s Christmas Eve, 1943, and the Feddington Players are
more than a little cranky about their move from NYC to a hole-in-the-wall
studio in Newark, NJ for their rendition of A
Christmas Carol. The plumbing is loud, the signal weak, and the electrical
system temperamental. Starring in the title role of Scrooge is veteran actor
(but radio newbie) William St. Claire, who is not thrilled with the current
trajectory of his career and has a woefully inadequate understanding of the
different demands of radio (e.g., no need for costumes, much less costume
changes!). Adding to the general malaise, the rest of the cast learns before
his arrival that St. Claire has lost a son in the skies above WWII France. However, the show must go on, and even when
St. Claire’s heart-wrenching on-air breakdown drives it off the rails the rest
of the cast’s “can-do” attitude brings it to a hilarious (but very bizarre)
conclusion. Without giving too much away, let us just say that it’s the only
time I’ve seen Tiny Tim and the Lindbergh Baby in such close proximity…
Tim Blough (as St. Claire) is an experienced and deft actor
whose resonant voice and dignified affect stand in stark contrast to the
frequently wacky performances of his cast mates. Much of the show’s emotional
content comes from his gradual evolution from Scrooge to grieving father, done
so smoothly that I really didn’t know what was happening until he neared his
personal climax. The rest of the cast members offer multidimensional portraits
of ordinary people (well, ordinary show people) carrying on in the midst of the
grim realities of war. Jade Tate is hilarious as Sally Simpson, the living
embodiment of Rosie the Riveter, and her lightning-fast transitions playing all
of Bob Cratchit’s daughters are a wonder to behold. With little more than a few
lines in Hebrew, Jared Mack uses his character, Cholly Butts, to gently remind
us that Jews, even in America, have a special connection to the tragic events
in Europe. I was impressed but confused by the skillful musical direction from
“Toots Navarre” – until I read the program at intermission and realized that
real-life musical director Jeffrey Childs, one of the best of the best of the
local music men, had stepped downstage to let the audience watch him work his
magic.
The 18 musical numbers are a nice mix of classic carols and
new songs written for the show –delivered with a sly confession that the WOV
Radio Network can’t pay royalties, so they have to rely on new material and songs
in the public domain. Malia Tippets’ lively “That Cute Little Elf” starts the
show with comic flare, and Sarah Maines’ haunting “Quiet Night” closes the show
on a somber note that brings home the reality of war, especially poignant with
the lovely monologue by Foley artist Buzz Crenshaw (William Shindler). The lush
ensemble arrangements allow the entire cast to shine, and Mack’s lead on “All
Through the Night” gave me goose bumps.
Robert Vaughan’s detailed scenic design and Sarah Marguier’s
authentic costuming give the show period authenticity, immediately transporting
the audience back 76 years and immersing us in the spirit of a tragic but
hopeful era – so very different from our own in superficial ways, and so
completely alike in the things that matter.
This show will sell out quickly (many performances are
already full) – get your tickets asap for what may turn out to be the best show
of the season!
A
1940’s Radio Christmas Carol is playing at Broadway Rose’s New Stage, 12850 SW Grant Avenue,
Tigard through Sunday, December 23d.
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