Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Hale Centre Theatre

David Appleford, BroadwayWorld’s esteemed guest contributor, gives a glowing holiday tribute to Hale Centre Theatre’s inventive and inspiring production of the seasonal classic, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, directed by David Hale Dietlein.  

Charles Dickens, a literary luminary of the Victorian era, has left an indelible mark on the way we perceive and celebrate Christmas. His novella, A Christmas Carol, written in 1843, not only revived the festive spirit when Christmas Day was not widely recognized as a holiday, but it also established a cultural and moral framework that reshaped a Western perspective towards the holiday season.

Hale Centre Theatre’s long-running production of the Dickens classic is a testament to the enduring appeal and adaptability of classic literature for contemporary audiences. Over the years, this production, ever developing, ever-changing, stands out not only as a beloved holiday tradition but also as a showcase of how careful adaptation and consistent dedication to original Dickens themes can invigorate familiar stories with fresh energy. Under the direction of David Hale Dietlein, the production skillfully balances tradition with yearly innovation. The result is a continually engaging and heartwarming rendition of a timeless classic.

Director Dietlein, owner and President of Hale Centre Theatre, usually shares producer and casting director credits with his wife, Corrin, but at the beginning of the Christmas season, he dons an extra hat. Since 2003, Dietlin has directed every production. It's not that the spirit of the season remains alive and well at Hale's new production, it's the genuine feel of Dickens' presence in almost every moment.  Knowing the celebrated author's love of both the season and live theatre, this reviewer is convinced he would have loved what Hale has done with his work. 

The production - not so much a musical, more a play with seasonal music and carols - is now playing until December 24 (no Sunday presentations) at the Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert with multiple performances daily. Ordinarily, this would be exhausting for any cast, but Hale has two separate ensembles performing on alternate days. The Green Cast is led by Rob Stuart as Scrooge while the Red Cast is led by Tim Dietlin. Plus, due to the demands of the show, this year there is even a third Scrooge.  Joey Morrison leads the Gold Cast, a name given to his supporting ensemble which is a mix of both the red and the green cast members on extra duty. 

The use of alternating casts further contributes to the production's vibrancy, offering audiences varied experiences with each performance. This approach not only helps manage an exhaustive schedule but also showcases different interpretations of Ebenezer Scrooge. This review covers an opening weekend performance by the Green Cast, though be assured, all productions play to the winning formula director Dietlin has established.

The foundation of Hale Centre Theatre’s success with A Christmas Carol lies in its fidelity to Dickens’ original narrative, especially evident in its thoughtful inclusion of the novella’s darker elements. While many adaptations sanitize these components to establish a more cheerful overtone, Dietlein’s version courageously retains those darker moments, such as the scene with Old Joe (Karl Haas). These segments not only highlight the stark realities of Victorian London but also, surprisingly, enrich the production's authenticity and emotional depth. By preserving these darker yet integral scenes, including the appearance of Ignorance (Miles VanSlyke) and Want (Avenly Neal), the production captures the true spirit of Dickens, who aimed to evoke both the darkness and redemption inherent in his story.

However, keeping the production fresh and engaging year after year requires more than just dedication to the source material. It demands innovative staging and dynamic performances to captivate both returning audiences and new viewers. Hale Centre Theatre accomplishes this through its vibrant, theater-in-the-round experience. From the swirling smoke and ghostly projections to the haunting chimes of a ticking clock, every inch of the theater becomes a part of Scrooge’s transformative journey. These immersive elements allow a theater-in-the-round audience to experience the narrative not so much as distant, passive observers but as participants, enhancing the emotional impact of Scrooge’s redemption.

Entering Hale Centre Theatre may feel as though you've just entered Dickens World, a theatrical theme park. A uniformed town crier, or bellman, waits to greet theatergoers, ringing his bell at the beginning of the play once house lights dim while declaring, "It’s eleven o’clock and all is well!”  

Decorating the theatre’s west wall is the colorful facade of a row of Victorian shops and stores including a Dickens Bookshop. On the east wall, among another row of shops and stores with literary references is a building titled simply Bleak House, while others display the name Pickwick Press and the Nickleby Toy Shop. The north section wall displays a city skyline as if viewed from the rooftops of London.  It’s like walking onto a set where you’ll remain seated, right in the middle of London City throughout the play.

The script by Ted Lehman remains faithful to Dickens’ novella, integrating its Victorian language and themes while ensuring accessibility for modern audiences. This delicate balance is richly illustrated by the inclusion of Dickens’ own 1843 preface, spoken in a warm, FM-friendly voice-over in which he expresses a desire to pleasantly haunt reader's homes. This simple introduction nicely captures the essence of a timeless story by inviting audiences to perhaps reflect at a later time on the play’s deeper meanings.

The effects throughout are continually good. Marley’s ghost (again, Karl Haas) is effectively and eerily projected on Scrooge’s front door on the North wall. Thick fog swirls around the grounds of the theatre as Marley finally appears before the miser. The image of a clock, its arms loudly ticking around its Roman numerals marking Scrooge's passing of time is projected down on the center of the set. When a younger Scrooge proposes to Belle (Brie Wadsworth-Gates) in the middle of Fezziwig's Christmas Eve ball, the production's lighting design bathes the cast in blue as dancing characters move in slow-motion in a dream-like fashion around the young couple.

The second half, like the book, is considerably darker, concentrating on those who would be happy to steal the curtains, rings an' all, from around the four-poster bed of a departed spirit and sell them without concern for pennies to Old Joe. Plus, the graveyard scene, where Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come wander among the dead is particularly inventive - cast members lie motionless on the floor, bathed in fog, each holding their gravestone as Scrooge walks by.

But it’s the redemption we wait for, and here, despite having seen umpteen productions over the years of this same, eventual moment, watching Rob Stuart’s change of heart materialize with giddy delight as he finally accepts that invitation for a Christmas Day dinner with his nephew Fred (Danny Karapetian) then later as he waits for his clerk to arrive to the office on the 26th, knowing that Bob Cratchit (Bryan Stewart) will be late for work, instills a fresh feeling of true, seasonal joy.  

As Hale Centre Theatre continues to find new ways to engage audiences with this cherished classic, it ensures that A Christmas Carol will, indeed, continue to pleasantly haunt the hearts and minds of all who experience it. And look closely at the framed portrait hanging on the wall above Scrooge’s fireplace in the raised northwest corner set, possessing a clear view of everything in the theatre.  Why, upon my soul: it's Mr. Dickens.

Hale Centre Theatre ~ https://www.haletheatrearizona.com ~ 50 W. Page Avenue, Gilbert, AZ ~ 480-497-1181

Graphic credit to Hale Centre Theatre

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