Theatrical Review: Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol

TINY TIM’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
Book, Music, and Lyrics by: Michael Harron* and Rick Cummins
Directed by: Michael Harron*
Theatrical Review by: Paul Adam Smeltz

The Sherman Theatre* in Stroudsburg, PA presented The Pennsylvania Repertory Company’s (www.myspace.com/pennsylvaniarepcompany) production of “Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol” by Michael Harron* and Rick Cummins and based on the novel “A Christmas Carol“ by Charles Dickens. This original production is offered annually as The Pennsylvania Repertory Company’s gift of a Holiday Family Musical to the community. The love, affection, and appreciation felt by the company is well evident in the care and talent placed in their endeavors to present quality theatre to the area and “Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol” is no exception.

The play takes the familiar story created by Charles Dickens and presents it through the eyes of one of the novels most beloved characters. Although this loses some of the depth the novel creates through its third person perspective, rediscovering the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge through our journey with Tiny Tim still allows us to enjoy the story in a new way. It’s serves us well to remind ourselves this is “Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol” and not Charles Dickens.

This is especially true during the novel’s potent scene of Scrooge confronting his own mortality and realizing all of his act lead to their inevitable consequences. Dickens mentioned in in many lectures on the novel this scene was designed to give warning to the business community who has become hard and uncaring toward the poor in the communities in which they did business and their indifference will lead to a societal indifference which leading to their demise. However, Tiny Tim sees this scene as an opportunity to express his childlike faith in the one who was born on Christmas and can provide redemption to those who seek it. This explains why there’s a nativity scene in “Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol” that Dickens would never imagine placing in his.

The huge cast consisted of an amount of talented people who are too numerous to mention However, the play was well acted and the actors should be congratulated on a performance well done. Their participation made it a very enjoyable evening at the Theatre.

The Production was Directed Michael Harron* and Stage Managed by Mary Ellen Van CampJoanne Barbetta assisted by Liz Egan-Rivers and Sara Ferguson. Katy Joyce served as Costumer and Nance Brown provided the Musical Staging. Keith LaBar served as Musical Director while the lighting and sets were designed by Leigh Mundy Fretz and Mark Connors. The Sound and Microphones were provided by Glenn Kern and the light board was controlled by William (Bill) Kelly*. Marcy Wilder* and Rick Morales were the follow spot operators. Props were provided by Al Rauch and Brydie Jaques while the stage crew consisted of Mike Brightman, Mark Dodel, Julius Kollar, Liz Miller, Ariana Medero, Vicky Larianova, and Eric Ramos.

This production of “Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol” will continue its run at The Sherman Theatre* in Stroudsburg, PA until December 15th which means the run may be over before you read this review. However, it may be good to keep your calendar open for next year’s production as The Pennsylvania Repertory Company’s* (www.myspace.com/pennsylvaniarepcompany) “Tiny Tim‘s Christmas Carol” may prove to be a pleasurable way to spend the 2008 holiday season.

Numerous Photographs from the production can be found in The Forwardian Arts Society Tiny Tim Sherman Gallery at myspace.com/forwardian_arts.

(*) denotes members of The Forwardian Arts Society in good standing and are considered Our Good Friends.