REVIEW: Imaginary Theatre Company Brings Wonderfully Entertaining Production of BAH! HUMBUG! to the Loretto-Hilton Stage

For my last undertaking of 2009, my family and I attended the Imaginary Theatre Company's presentation of a modern re-telling of Charles Dickens' classic tale, A Christmas Carol, called Bah! Humbug!. A terrific cast really enlivens Jack Herrick's tuneful score and clever script, providing a wonderfully entertaining production that's perfect for children and adults, and acting as a fitting close to my own holiday theatrical odyssey.

In this re-imaging, Ebenezer Scrooge is the miserly owner of a bank who (still) despises Christmas. He's so cheap and spiteful that rather than having an actual automated teller, he keeps his employee Bob Cratchit inside a cramped facade, working endless shifts distributing and collect money, while earning precious little for his family. Just as in Dickens' original work, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his ex-partner, Jacob Marley, although here it's done with some perfectly charming puppetry. Marley warns him that on this night he will be visited by three spirits, and that he must change his ways or face a cold and lonely death. Herrick's script is actually fairly faithful, but contains just enough pop cultural references to win over the wee ones.

Lakeetha Blakeney does sharp work as Scrooge, nicely tempering the character's nastier traits with her good-humored portrayal. Ann Ashby excels in a variety of roles, including the Ghost of Christmas Present, a sad little girl peddling pencils on the street, and Scrooge's forgotten love interest from his past, Polly. Chauncy Thomas contributes nicely with an enthusiastic Ghost of Christmas Past, represented here by a much younger and playful version of Scrooge. Thomas also plays the put-upon Cratchit, and handles the voice and (most of the) puppetry for Marley. Amanda Willeford is hilarious as Tiny Tim, playing the diminutive little boy while on her knees. She capably handles several additional parts, including the Ghost of Christmas Future.

Director Bruce Longworth keeps the action moving along at a nice clip, and that can be awfully important when you've got a theatre filled with squirmy children. He's greatly aided by stage manager Danny Maly, who helps the actors back stage with all the quick changes that take place throughout the proceedings. NeAl Richardson contributes stellar musical direction, featuring warmly realized backing, and solid vocal performances by the entire cast. Lou Bird's costumes and scenic design are very smartly conceived. The colorful set is neatly changeable, and it even has slits cut in that allow the actors to poke puppets through to animate. The costumes act to clearly define each of the characters, and are also distinguished by cute, cartoon-inspired touches that will certainly appeal to the younger set.

Before the show started my wife took my four year old son around to check out the activities for kids that were provided, and he came back to his seat grinning, and proudly brandishing a cute little candy cane he'd had painted on his hand. This was a splendid way to spend a cold and snowy December morning the week before Christmas.

The Imaginary Theatre Company (associated with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis) has crafted a delightful production of Bah! Humbug!, and it continues with daytime performances on December 22nd and 23rd, 2009, on the Browning Mainstage at the Loretto-Hilton.

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