'A Civil War Christmas' Proves A Hard History Lesson At Northlight Theatre

"On Christmas Eve in 1864, a fugitive from slavery and her young daughter have become separated in unfamiliar Washington, DC. As the desperate mother searches the snowy streets for her child and Mary Todd Lincoln searches for the perfect Christmas tree for the White House, familiar faces from our nation's history cross paths and storylines in this uplifting epic filled with traditional music and themes of family, reconciliation and communal hope." 

So reads the description of "A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration," the play with music now open at Northlight Theatre in suburban Skokie, Illinois through December 19, 2010. Playwright Paula Vogel has wrought a researched and resonant snapshot of our nation's capital at a moment of waiting, a fullness not yet fulfilled. And that, unfortunately, describes the play as well. This is just the fourth production this play has received--Pulitzer Prize-winner Vogel was on hand in Skokie during the rehearsal process. (Indeed, all three previous productions were directed by Chicagoans [Jessica Thebus and Tina Landau], which recalls the nature of the relationship between the Lincoln family and Illinois, their adopted state.) Is the play in its final form, ready to take on "A Christmas Carol" and "Miracle On 34th Street?" I just don't know. 

With so much promise in the offing, it's a hard play to witness. For one, the game and trained company of actors at Northlight play so many roles that it's easy to lose track of who is who (interestingly, gender and race can't even be counted on). Actors talk about their characters in the third person quite frequently, which can be off-putting to audiences unaccustomed to the very theatrical (and yet very literary) convention. Characters not only sing, but they impressively play instruments, too (violin, guitar, banjo and drums, I believe), but the songs they sing are spirituals or popular songs of the time, with varying degrees of relevance to the proceedings. No "musical theater" moments here, really, no internalized discoveries set to lyrics and melody, despite the words "American" and "musical" in the play's subtitle. 

The odd thing about this production is that it becomes a play of ideas and ideals, in that so much happens, and yet so little transpires. On the one hand, a little girl is overtaken by hypothermia while wandering the town, searching for her equally desperate and searching mother; President Lincoln goes to his summer cottage to retrieve a present and is very nearly assassinated by John Wilkes Booth and his cadre; Mrs. Lincoln and her friend, a former slave, attempt to acquire the same Christmas tree; a young soldier tries to volunteer, while a Quaker soldier serves without breaking his vow of peacefulness; Lincoln's cabinet attends to holiday festivities. So many characters coming and going, bits and snippets, props or no props, costume changes or no. 

But on the other hand, there is all that waiting! President Lincoln has been re-elected but has not yet delivered his Second Inaugural Address; the Emancipation Proclamation has been signed, but many don't understand its provisions; Christians wait for the birth of Jesus once more; a husband waits for the return of his kidnapped wife; war wounded wait for Walt Whitman and Clara Barton to offer comfort and aid; and on and on. The cold and the snow and the holiday combine to produce a sense of stillness, calm, and yes, unfortunately, inaction. 

The play features Tony-nominee Felicia P. Fields (oddly detached in the early going, but excellent later on), sixteen-time Jeff-nominee Paula Scrofano (excellent as Mary Todd Lincoln, whose hoops she wears most of the time), Will Clinger (WTTW's "Wild Chicago" must have trained him to play Lincoln, somehow), national tour veteran Derek Hasenstab, Broadway veteran David Girolmo, the quite capable Kevin Douglas, gangly Alex Goodrich, young and sweet Khori Faison, the formidable and ever more impressive James Earl Jones II, empathetic and lovely Mildred Marie Langford, sprightly Bethany Jorgensen and the likeable Samuel G. Roberson, Jr.  

Young people of various ages fill out the stage at key moments, though, oddly, the Lincoln children never appear. Northwestern University students in the ensemble include Allie Bodsky, Gil Ghitis, Matt Kuyawa, and Kara Weisenstein. The children's ensemble includes: Matt Chapelle (Evanston), Kelsey McDonald (Northbrook), Patrick Weber (Chicago), Maggie Wolf (Evanston), Gaby Godinez (Evanston), Elijah Griffin (Evanston), Natalie Miller (Wilmette), and Kevin Woodrow (Wilmette). They were fun and inspiring to watch. 

And it's worth noting that Northlight is featuring a program called "Northlight Gives Back" in conjunction with the show, in which local churches, synagogues and places of worship can register to receive a donation from Northlight for every ticket purchased by a member of their congregation.  (Non-profit religious institutions can sign up for this program by calling 847.679.9501 [x3509].) 

Yet, with holiday cheer, the best of intentions, American growing pains, nostalgia and intrigue, this play seems cold, more intellectual than engaging. I must admit that I respected it more than I admired it, and I admired it more than I liked it. Chuck Larkin rendered and conducted someone's arrangements of 19th century American music with sensitivity and skill at a piano ("There Is A Balm In Gilead" was a highlight of the first act). And the show prominently and quite rightly features the hymn "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, though, unless I am mistaken, the tune used is not a 19th century one but a 20th century one. 

Theresa Ham's costumes go a long way toward creating the time and place of this piece, and much is demanded of the lighting design of John Culbert. Tom Burch's scenic design (essentially a big bare "thrust" floor, with an upstage platform and some steps to and from it) gave the actors and director Godinez plenty of downstage room to work, but doesn't seem particularly Washingtonian, wintry or communal, aside from a patriotic-feeling proscenium arch. 

In the end, if you are a Civil War buff or a student of African-American history, American music or Readers' Theater, you will probably enjoy "A Civil War Christmas." The average playgoer will find it an impressive but disjointed work, which encompasses quite a lot but wraps up its storylines somewhat too quickly. I'm glad I saw it, but I wish it were better. Maybe it will be, in its fifth production. 

Northlight Theatre presents the holiday musical "A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration," by Paula Vogel, directed by Henry Godinez and with musical direction by Chuck Larkin, November 11-December 19, 2010 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie; 847.673.6300; for more information visit www.northlight.org.  

Photos: Felicia P. Fields and Paula Scrofano; James Earl Jones II and Mildred Marie Langford; Full Cast  

Photo credit: Liz Lauren

  

 

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