Interview: Elizabeth Newcomer of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Crescent City Stage

As the holiday season kicks off in New Orleans, beloved traditions like Christmas in the Oaks and festive strolls through the city’s dazzling light displays take center stage.

This year, Crescent City Stage is bringing their tradition to the mix with Patrick Barlow’s imaginative adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Known for its witty humor and creative storytelling, Barlow’s version of Charles Dickens’s classic brings a fresh, playful twist to the familiar tale. With a small but versatile cast playing multiple roles, including the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, this lively production blends comedy, heart, and a touch of magic, making it the perfect addition to the city’s holiday lineup.

In the spirit of the holiday season, BroadwayWorld.com sat down with the director of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Elizabeth Newcomer, to explore her vision behind this whimsical and heartfelt adaptation. With a fresh take on Dickens’ classic, Newcomer discusses the balance of humor and poignant moments, the creative process that brings the story to life with a small cast, and what makes this unique production a must-see for New Orleans audiences this holiday season.

BroadwayWorld: Patrick Barlow is known for his comedic storytelling, such as The 39 Steps. How does his humor shine through in A CHRISTMAS CAROL?

Newcomer: I think there’s a lot of wit and play on words. He also uses some old-school tropes, so the actors get to shine by playing different characters. So, whether they’re playing a door or a fire or seeing them go in and out of different characters, I think that’s part of where the sense of playfulness and fun comes from. It’s just seeing the adaptability of the actors.

BWW: How do you balance the story’s humor with its more poignant themes?

Newcomer: There are elements of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, which are heartbreaking, right? There’s the relationship of Scrooge and his mother and the heartbreak with Belle, or Isabella in this version. So these themes are all something that I think we all connect to, and what makes them more poignant is being able to go in and out of the laughter and the lightness. I think [Barlow] orchestrates it well. We’re familiar with the tale of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. There are also ghosty, spooky elements, and Fezziwig brings lightness and humor. I think it’s just people have a break with some of the laughter and the humor moments, and then they get to sink into the more poignant, heartfelt moments.

BWW: What’s your approach to portraying the ghosts in this version?

Newcomer: Each ghost has their personality and tactic for showing Scrooge what’s possible and maybe why he would want to change his ways. The Past is a little bit more serious, illuminating the ways that [Scrooge] has gotten to where he is now. So it is showing him those harder moments and doing it with seriousness. When the Ghost of Christmas Present comes in, she is very funny and cheeky, and she almost shows him the present and mocks him. She’ll take on the things he said negatively, mirror it back to him mockingly, and show him the error of his ways through mockery and playfulness. And the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, there is a finality with him… It’s not the seriousness of Christmas Past; you’ve run out of time, and you have no more options. That shakes Scrooge awake.

BWW: With this adaptation being performed with a small cast playing multiple roles, how does that impact the versatility of the actors and theatrical play?

Newcomer: Michael [Newcomer], as Scrooge, is the only one who doesn’t change throughout. The other four characters each take on a ghost, with one of the characters being Marley and then all the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. And then they come in and out of the other characters. LeBaron Thornton, who plays Cratchit, also plays the younger version of Scrooge. So, we’re starting to see the similarities between the characters that they play. Erin Cessna, who plays Isabella, also plays his sister. So, we see the love that he’s had for different women in his life through that one actor. The way that Barlow has one actor play different roles, there’s a kind of theme or an overlap of the types of characters that they play, which is just fun to see. In the first scene, they get to play the inanimate objects and bring them to life… with theatrical play, we bring in some puppetry and some shadow play, which lets the audience use their imagination. The characters change on stage, so they put on a simple hat or take a prop. The audience is invited to use their imagination to fill in the rest of the details. Then, we use one simple wagon to wheel across the stage, which is supposed to represent them flying to different times and places. And we also use some projections. James Lanius is our projections designer, which helps set the backdrop of each new area we’re in.

BWW: It sounds like you have a great design team supporting the imaginative nature of this show.

Newcomer: Yes, one hundred percent. So, James, as I mentioned…Amara Skinner, our sound designer, adds a lot of the spooky elements like the wind howling…and Jahise LeBouef, our costume designer, has [created pieces] that represent these characters that they can put on quickly.

BWW: Correct me if I’m wrong, but is this the second time you have put on this production?

Newcomer: You’re correct. It is the second time.

BWW: Is this a full remount?

Newcomer: It is a full remount. The only shift in the team is with the lighting designer. We have a new lighting designer, Zak Lanius, and everybody else is back.

BWW: So, this is becoming Crescent City Stage’s holiday tradition?

Newcomer: That’s right, yes, exactly.

BWW: What makes you think this version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL is perfect for the holiday season?

Newcomer: I think it’s very fresh because it’s only five characters. That playfulness and that Christmas spirit of things that are just magical and delightful and playful. I think New Orleans loves traditions like Christmas in the Oaks or The Nutcracker or going to see the lights in the Roosevelt Hotel. We wanted something theatrical that was in line with all of that to have some magic and light and play in the holiday season. Picking Barlow’s version, which highlights the artists and is in line with our mission at Crescent City Stage, highlighting artists as storytellers, seemed like the perfect marriage.

BWW: Are there any challenges in remounting a production?

Newcomer: It’s been most of our first time remounting. Most of the actors and myself as well, this is our first time doing it. Right now, it’s surprising as to how quickly it comes back. We have a shorter rehearsal process, so we have to hit the gas running, but there haven’t been many challenges. We’re doing a limited run this time around, which I would say that maybe the only challenge is just because New Orleanians are busy at this time of year, so they have a lot of different things to go to. So we’re hoping this meets them where they are and that we can fill the house. Just letting people know it’s there and they can come to it, and hope they choose it as part of their family holiday tradition.

BWW: What has been the most rewarding part of directing this production or your favorite moment from the show?

Newcomer: I am just blown away by the versatility of the artists. The choices they make in changing their sense of play have been the most rewarding, and the most fun is just fostering an environment where they can play. They can get into that childlike spirit. Having two sons who perform all the time, I’m seeing parallels between the way my kids play in their playroom and bring things to life and seeing actors do it on stage, and I think it gets to that childlike spirit in each of us, which is also the [journey] that Scrooge is on. I’m just honored that I get to bring it to life at this time of year.

BWW: If you had to describe this production in three words, what would they be?

Newcomer: Magical. Funny. Heartfelt.

BWW: Is there anything you’d like to add?

Newcomer: It is family-friendly and something all ages will enjoy.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL runs December 4-15 in the Marquette Theater on Loyola's Campus.

To post a comment, you must register and login.