Years after the initial success of Les Miserables on Broadway, director Cameron Mackintosh appeared unannounced to view a performance of the show with all of its subsequent replacements. What he saw angered him. He was so appalled by the inconsistent acting, half-hearted dancing, mediocre singing, and the very low level of energy being offered by a jaded cast obviously on cruise control, he closed the show on the spot. He fired the entire group, recast and rehearsed, and opened a fresh version of the show a few weeks later. Are you listening, Matthew Wiener?
Touting something new every year, director Wiener and Actors Theatre of Phoenix offers his ninth version of the holiday standard A Christmas Carol, this year with a new Scrooge (gifted actor Kim Bennett) and some questionably hip script additions. He still has many of his old cast there, though some have swapped roles over the years. Every actor in town knows that to get a part in this is a guarantee of consistent Christmas cash year after year, so the cast list reads like a local Who's Who. And this fact maybe the reason why the presentation I saw on the second Friday night of the run played eerily similar to the reports by Cameron Mackintosh of his experience with Les Mis. Last year's production was saved by the humanity within the spectacle. This year's is D.O.A. because of the half-heartedness of most of the same group. There's no excuse why, on an evening with an audience filled with celebrants of an organization for foster children, zombies played the roles often filled by talented, exuberant performers. Even the kids weren't impressed by what they saw, and their reactions proved that.
Mr. Bennet, in his first season as the miser, reminded me of Christopher Lloyd in his offering. He presents a mix of really nasty, snide, and manically exuberant. There is little subtlety around these, and his limited vocal abilities meant the cutting of any songs for Scrooge. While he had some energy, the lack of modulation in his voice, either screaming or sniping, could not have been very inspirational to the rest of the cast.
Despite the mechanical offerings of most of the company, there are exceptions. Gene Ganssle is as spirited as ever as Scrooge's nephew Fred. Michael Tully does well as Middle Scrooge, and Nathalie Ellis is solid as Fan. While Ben Brittain is not up to his usual hyper self, he is still a good Bob Cratchit. The rest offer various levels of somnambulism, a shame with the A-list of actors involved.
The half-heartedness is not limited to the performers; the design crew has set their offerings on autopilot, too. Jeff Thomson has recreated his scenic design from last year, which was overblown then. Susan Johnson-Hood's costumes are as lavish as ever. Dave Temby's sound design is not as sharp as usual, while Cat Dragon's properties are solid and consistent.
As my guest for the evening, I brought along local lighting designer Michael Eddy, who gave me a crash course in lighting over dinner, and spoke with me extensively about Paul A. Black's design following the show, which looked distinctly unfocused from the first row of the balcony.
No one in the theatre community really looks forward to the holidays, and the requisite cash cows that must be mounted to pay for the artistically challenging shows that we enjoy. Giving the audience what they want, though, is a necessary evil, and we should never let the paying customers see a lack of enthusiasm. If this is done consistently, cash cows may disappear, and we'll be left scrambling for the funds to put up the less universal but far more interesting offerings.
Production Details:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Michael Grady
and Matthew Wiener, with music and lyrics by Alan Ruch
Actors Theatre
of Phoenix
The
Herberger Theater Center, Phoenix (For a map to this location,
click this
link)
(602) 252-8497
December 2nd - 23rd, 2000