theatre 0 Humbug! Christmas Carol disappoints N SATURDAY, | decided to get into the Christmas spirit by settling into a soft chair with Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It seems 200 other people had the same idea. We were watching Carousel Theatre’s musical rendition of the Christmas classic. The production features words and music by Canada’s man about theatre Mavor Moore. Saturday night was a tull house. Behind me were my ‘‘fidget meters,” two plump tots so ex- cited their enthusiasm was spilling over the seats. | prayed that the show would hold their attention. Good news in that respect. The show was easy enough for kids to follow, with its numerous scene changes, colorful costumes and not-tco-compiex characters. It was the adults who were fidgeting. Why? Not quite enough theatre magic to let us forget our woes. My first disappointment was Scrooge, that crotchety, pointy- nosed old coot. He wasn’t any of those. Malcolm Armstrong looked too robust to be a penny-pinching misanthrope and showed none of the physical infirmity of everyone's favorite meany. His humbug just wasn’t vicious enough. The utterance of that one word should ooze disdain for the world. The disdain sets up the delicious contrast later of aman transformed his shortcomings. Aside from this, some scenes, like those of the child-beggars. the housekeepers, and the parlor game were excellent. Others didn’t quite rise above recitation of the familiar story. The North Shore's Aidan and Kerry Pendleton, playing the Crat- chit sisters and other roles, were irresistibly charming and profes- Stona! ~ always in character, in step and in tune. All the cast members are able performers, several of them fresh from Les Miserables, But | could never see them as more than actors on a Stage. Some of this could be blamed on the lighting and makeup, both of which were too understated. With makeup, Scrooge might have taken ona more sinister look and the ghosts could have been more ghostly, not three-dimensionally silly. Shaun Phillips’s get-up as the Ghost of Christmas Past came off as a Ken Russell creation (blame Dickens for that), and Marley didn’t look the least bit dead. In fact, when he materialized from the fireplace one of my ficzet meters squeaked ‘‘He’s not scary!” Most of the musical numbers were very enjoyable and capably choreographed. Jill! Diane Filion’s romantic solo Ebenezer tweaked several hundred heart strings. And my favorite was What Are You Doin’ "Fre? in which Scrooge’s unscrupulous housekeepers plunder the place with the stiff still in the bed. The costumes were historically convincing, (except for the ladies’ party dresses which reminded me of Macintosh toffee boxes). i only the play hadn't ended with a recapitulation of the song Christmas is Love (which was delightful the first time it was sung by the beggar children). Its sickly iSAFACT OF LIFE Support Your Lung Association NT Wednesday, November 28, 1990 ~ North Shore News - 31 oo ae! BARBARA: && x. BLACK _\/ ‘ theatre review sweet lyrics brought me danger- ously close to muttering the “h” word — Humbug. - A Christmas Carol continues to : ~ Photo submitted Dec, 29 at the Warertront Theatre. CAROUSEL THEATRE presents the holiday classic A Christmas Carol at Waterfront Theatre. The Phone 685-6217 for ticket intor- show features (left to right) Aidan and Kerry Pendleton as the Cratchit sisters, Malcolm Armstrong mation. as Scrooge and Brendan Towers as Tiny Tim. ae a oe a er Cee a eee ae DOWN TO BUTE SPECIAL URCHASE | © savessog UP TO