The Gift of Christmas Present: A Christmas Carol at the Rhinebeck Center
by Cait Johnson

Having to make do with less at holiday time can turn out to be a valuable gift, even if it comes in rather unattractive wrapping. Why? Well, when we don’t have lots of money to spend, instead of getting caught up in a buying frenzy, we can focus on what really matters: taking a break from the frantic pace of everyday life, spending some meaningful time with loved ones, and being uplifted by the hopeful message of the season. If you’re looking for something fun to do with the family that accomplishes all three of these worthy holiday goals, consider the new Victorian Music Hall-themed production of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol at the CENTER for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck (recently voted Best Community Theatre by the readers of Hudson Valley magazine, and winner of the Dutchess County 2010 Executive’s Arts Award). The show offers candy canes, beautifully-sung carols, and a moving tale of redemption that will warm your heart.

“Our Christmas Carol has become a holiday tradition for many local families,” says Lou Trapani, Artistic and Managing Director of the theatre, who plays a delightfully cranky but ultimately lovable Scrooge, and who adapted the Dickens novel for this staged version. “This will be our seventh annual full production, but because we change it every year, it’s always fresh.”

This year, audiences will be treated to a snow-glittered Victorian Christmas card of a show featuring an ensemble of quirky characters who create the Dickens story onstage. Yours truly is co-directing this year’s production with Emily DePew—we’re the team that brought you the successful Noah’s Flood and Everyman last spring—and we’re infusing the piece with a lively Music Hall sensibility. Music Hall was the popular entertainment of the Victorian era—the British cousin of American vaudeville—so we’ll be using lots of harmony, entertaining patter, and onstage transformations. The Music Hall cast even has its own story-within-the-story: we invented a change-of-heart subplot that echoes Dickens, so we have a doubly happy ending.

Just about everybody has felt the recent economic crunch and the CENTER is no exception. “We’re on a shoestring budget,” says co-director Emily DePew, “But it challenges us to be creative.” The production will be beautiful to look at, thanks to the talents of the CENTER’s veterans: Natalie Lunn’s costumes from Christmases Past, a simply elegant set by Andy Weintraub, lighting by Heather Brower, and a hand-painted drop from Broadway scene-painter Richard Prouse.

“The show is our holiday card to the community,” says Trapani, who has been associated with the CENTER since its days as a tent in a field. “The cast becomes family—some members have been in every production we’ve done. We’ve watched the kids grow up—Joey Fasolino played Tiny Tim in 2004 when he was about four feet tall. Now he’s nearly six feet tall and graduating high school.”

Why A Christmas Carol now? “It’s a timeless story with a timely message,” says Trapani. “Things are tough. While we’re lucky to live in an area of relative affluence, everyone needs an uplift. And the Dickens story says that everyone is redeemable, that people can change their way of thinking.”

“The message of A Christmas Carol really transcends religious boundaries,” says DePew. “It reminds us of the power of generosity and human kindness.”

Taking to heart Dickens’ wise observation that this time of year “want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices,” the CENTER will be hosting a Food Drive as part of its holiday offering. Audience members are invited to bring canned and other non-perishable food items to place under the lobby Christmas tree, and carol-singing cast members will personally deliver the food to a community pantry. For Hudson Valley audiences who value community theatre, the CENTER, a non-profit arts and education organization, also welcomes tax-deductible donations so that it can continue to move, delight, and inspire audiences for many Christmases to come.

A Christmas Carol opens Saturday, November 27. For show dates and ticket information, see the AboutTown calendar or call the box office at 845-876-3080 or visit the CENTER’s website at www.centerforperformingarts.org. The CENTER is located on Route 308, three miles east of the village center in Rhinebeck.