OKC's Lyric Theatre's new production of 'A Christmas Carol' looks like a million bucks
On a chilly Sunday afternoon just days after Thanksgiving, the air in the festively adorned Plaza Theatre was not only filled with the feeling of Christmas but also a sheltering warmth away from the frisky Oklahoma winds.
As opening weekend ticketholders welcomed Lyric Theatre's popular yearly production of "A Christmas Carol" back inside its Plaza District home, they were greeted by a veritable cornucopia of new theatrical wonders, from the sprawling set and lavish costumes to the striking sound effects and atmospheric lighting designs.
But after three seasons of literally following Lyric's telling of Charles Dickens' enduring yuletide tale outside at the Harn Homestead, the familiar heated comforts of the Oklahoma City professional company's home theater also proved a blessing to be praised.
The state's official theater is capping its 60th anniversary season with its 13th annual presentation of "A Christmas Carol," with performances continuing through Dec. 24 in the Plaza Theatre.
Last year, Devon Energy gifted Lyric with $1 million to help the nonprofit arts organization put on an all-new production as it moved its classic Christmas show back indoors. Here's what you need to know about Lyric's new and improved "A Christmas Carol" at the Plaza Theatre:
Why has Lyric Theatre moved its 'Christmas Carol' back indoors this year?
During the 2020 holiday season, when so many events had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyric transported its beloved yuletide show outside to the Harn Homestead living history museum, performing an abbreviated 75-minute version of "A Christmas Carol" with two small rotating casts and limited audiences to allow for social distancing.
Although the outside production was an unabashed success and served as a model for other theaters around the country of how plays could be safely done during pandemic, it was never meant to be a permanent move.
Besides forcing cast, crew and crowds to deal directly with the unpredictable Oklahoma weather, the outdoor production had its limits in how the show could be staged as well as who could participate in it, as performers and attendees had to be able to traverse the Harn Homestead grounds to follow the literally moving story.
Lyric Theatre had planned to debut a new indoor production of the holiday classic in 2021, but those plans were delayed to this season due to the pandemic.
To see them finally come to fruition did not disappoint.
What can people expect from Lyric Theatre's new indoor production of 'A Christmas Carol?'
Lyric Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron, who annually directs the OKC theater's "A Christmas Carol," again shows his deep love for Dickens' iconic yuletide novella, which is marking its 180th anniversary this year. The move back indoors has allowed him to restore many scenes that were omitted from the abbreviated outdoor version, bringing the show's runtime back to two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
His version of "A Christmas Carol" remains faithful to original story's period and place in Victorian London — much of the dialogue is taken directly from Dickens' prose — as it relates the familiar tale of the bitter miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his life-changing Christmas Eve encounter with four ghosts. Plus, Baron has found intriguing new nuggets from the story to share, including a brief oceanic excursion to a remote lighthouse, where Lyric mainstays Vince Leseney and Charlie Monnot give a jaunty performance of a holiday sea shanty.
Several of the adult cast members have been appearing in Lyric's holiday show for many years, and it's fun to see them take on different roles this time. After playing Scrooge for three seasons, W. Jerome Stevenson is particularly delightful as the charismatic Ghost of Christmas Present, who gets a hot new grand entrance in the new production.
Seasoned local actor D. Lance Marsh, professor of acting and head of performance for Oklahoma City University's School of Theatre, takes over the lead role. Although his Scrooge could be a mite meaner, Marsh is clearly having a jolly good time playing the well-known protagonist as a "comical old fellow" who's "not so pleasant as he might be," and Dustin Boatright proves a fine match with his wonderfully expressive performance as Scrooge's beleaguered employee Bob Cratchit.
"A Christmas Carol" returns to Lyric's home venue with a full, larger company, and it's lovely to see the tradition of two rotating casts of child actors restored. Little Parker Ferguson's charming turn as Tiny Tim at the Nov. 26 matinee was a big improvement on the Tim puppet that was used as a COVID precaution, although puppet designer Penny Benson's towering specter of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come remains as eerily effective as ever.
What does Lyric Theatre's new production of 'A Christmas Carol' look like?
Although it didn't take the entire Devon Energy gift to build it, Adam Koch's new set design looks like a million bucks. A sprawling Victoria-era recreation of a London city block, it is dominated by a three-sided turntable, or revolve, that allows the crew to switch scenes so swiftly and smoothly that it seems to happen by magic — and kudos to the behind-the-scenes team who make the magic work. There's even a bridge built into the revolve that characters can stroll across, plus a staircase that actors can walk up or down even as the stage turns.
The multilevel set design is decked out with not one but two tracks and swings. That means that audiences not only get to see the Ghost Christmas Past (the enchanting Karsten Tate) again fly over their heads, but she also gets to take Marsh's Scrooge soaring along with her.
Although it doesn't have the sense of adventure that the outdoor production conjured up as ticketholders literally followed the story across the Harn Homestead grounds, Baron isn't afraid to take audiences' eyes off the fancy new stage in the hopes of recreating some of the more immersive elements of the outside show. Characters frequently venture out into the crowd to act out scenes or croon vintage Christmas carols, and there's even a funeral procession that comes right down the aisle.
A quintessential presentation of the quintessential holiday tale, Lyric's "A Christmas Carol" beautifully captures the spirit of the season. It's even capped off by the theater's annual invitation to audiences to donate to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma following each performance. During the past 12 years, Lyric patrons have donated more than $217,000, providing more than 870,000 meals to help feed thousands of Oklahomans in need.
What holiday show is Harn Homestead hosting this season?
After hosting Lyric Theatre's "A Christmas Carol" for the past three years, Harn Homestead is hosting this season a new immersive outdoor traveling production based on a classic literary work.
The living history museum, 1721 N Lincoln Blvd., is the setting for "Little Women: A Holiday Experience," adapted by Moore-based Storyteller Theatre Arts Co. from Louisa May Alcott's beloved 1868 novel.
LYRIC THEATRE'S 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'
When: Through Dec. 24.
Where: Plaza Theatre, 1727 NW 16.
Information: https://lyrictheatreokc.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What to know about OKC's Lyric Theatre's million-dollar 'Christmas Carol'
