Don't be a Scrooge. A new era begins for 'A Christmas Carol' at Playhouse in the Park

You already know the story.

It’s Christmas Eve. And during the night, notorious skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts who spirit him back and forth in time in order to show him the error of his ways. By Christmas morning, Scrooge has found redemption.

It’s Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” of course. It’s an inspiring story. And for more than 30 years, a stage version of the tale has been the anchor of Playhouse in the Park seasons.

But last year, during construction of the Playhouse’s new mainstage theater, Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre, “A Christmas Carol” disappeared.

When he announced the change, Playhouse producing artistic director Blake Robison said “I want to reassure everyone that ‘A Christmas Carol’ will return. It may look a little different, but it will be the 'Christmas Carol' story that everyone knows and loves.”

And sure enough, on Nov. 30, “A Christmas Carol” will make its return to the playhouse. As Robison promised, it is different. Very different. There are new sets, new costumes, new special effects. There’s a new script, too, adapted from Dickens’ novella by Robison, who will also direct the production.

“Even a classic like ‘A Christmas Carol’ deserves to be revisited every couple of decades,” said Robison recently.

Now this isn’t just an example of change for change’s sake. The physical configuration of the new Rouse Theatre necessitated a different presentation of the show. The play’s former home, the Marx Theatre, had a huge, asymmetrical stage that thrust out into the auditorium, where seats wrapped around in an arc that curved nearly 180 degrees.

The Rouse stage is much wider than the one in the Marx. And rather than a thrust stage, it is a more conventional arrangement with a proscenium arch framing the stage. On top of that, the Rouse has an abundance of technical enhancements that enable a much more robust staging.

“We now have a fly gallery and we have the ability to bring things in from the wings,” said Robison. That means that stage drops and scenery can “fly” in from above, much as you would see in a big production at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall. And there is considerable space on both sides of the stage, as well, something that was virtually non-existent in the Marx.

So how will that impact what we see on the stage?

“The set is very large,” says designer Wilson Chin. “And tall. And very English. We’re leaning into the kind of architectural grandeur you get when you see a Harry Potter movie. You know – the weird English Victoriana – oversized and overly decorative with lots of cast iron details.”

And at the center of it all is a monumentally large clock.

“The passage of time and everything that comes with that is very central to this story,” says Chin. “And with this clock, you will definitely get the idea. It is very big. The large hand is 12 feet long, I think.”

Interestingly, this is the first time that Chin has designed a production of “A Christmas Carol.”

“In fact, I’ve only ever seen it once in my life,” says Chin. “And that was when I was in high school. So when I started working on this, my connection to the story was very slim. I don’t really know what people have done before. That was very liberating. I didn’t have a whole lot of encumbrances as to what the show should be, which is kind of a nice place to start.”

After working on it for well over a year, though, he has developed an enormous respect for the story.

“Now that I’ve really taken the show apart, I see it for what it is – this perfect story,” said Chin. “I think of it as Charles Dickens’ vision of a better world, of redemption and being a good human being and being a citizen of the world. I totally understand why people keep seeing it year after year. If this story can inspire people to be better, to make some positive changes in the world, that’s great.”

Where Chin started out as a newcomer to “A Christman Carol,” costume designer Bill Black is a Dickens veteran.

“This makes about 19 productions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ that I’ve done,” said Black. “It’s relatively easy for me to plug into a new production. There are certain things that are unlikely to change very much. There will always be a Tiny Tim with a crutch. And a Bob Cratchit with a top hat. A lot of things you can sketch even before you get the script. The things that vary the most are the ghosts.”

Robison is loath to reveal too many specifics about the ghosts. What’s the old saying – you only have one chance to make a first impression? And he hopes this production will find its way into Cincinnatians’ hearts the way the previous production did.

What else? Robison has included a raft of Christmas carols. And he has put together a cast that is filled with local actors.

“We have fantastic actors in Cincinnati,” he said. “But we tended to use the same actors from year to year. Many of them were in the show before I even got to Cincinnati. So it was hard to get into the cast. But with a whole new production, all that has changed.”

And what about those ghosts?

“Here’s what I’m comfortable sharing,” says Robison. “The ghost of Christmas past has been imagined as a sort of winter goddess who arrives on a giant sled and is accompanied by a flock of winter birds. They’re puppets. In fact, each one of the spirits has a puppetry element.”

He’s clearly excited for us to see all of it unfold on the stage but suddenly stops talking. He really doesn’t want to give away too many of the show’s secrets.

“I can tell you that Belle is more prominent than in the previous version,” he said. Belle is the woman who was the love of a youthful Scrooge’s life. But when he opted to pursue money rather than love, the relationship collapsed. “And that the language will sound a little less stuffy. And ..." Once again, he pauses. “Look, I don’t know if this production will last 30 years. But I think it will be festive and inspiring and beautiful to look at. I hope it will be around for a while.”

'A Christmas Carol'

When: Nov. 30-Dec. 30, previews begin Nov. 24.

Where: Moe and Jack’s Place – the Rouse Theatre, Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Eden Park.

Tickets: $33.50-$119.

Information: 513-421-3888; www.cincyplay.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Introducing the revamped 'Christmas Carol' at Playhouse in the Park