THEATER REVIEW - A Christmas Carol
Produced by: Theatre Three, Port Jefferson - Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur
Jeffrey Sanzel as Ebenezer Scrooge
More than the calendar, the weather, or a lot of festive decorations…the Holiday Season on Long Island is appropriately heralded by a single theatrical event that has become an integral part of the venerated celebration itself. That iconic drama offering is, of course, “A Christmas Carol.”
Theatre Three’s 32nd annual production of the play based on Charles Dickens’s 170-year-old novella…so remarkably adapted for the stage by actor/director/writer Jeffrey Sanzel…opened last Saturday in Port Jefferson, and will run in 24 performances thru December 27th.
Mr. Sanzel plays the part of miserly old ‘Ebenezer Scrooge,’ and in show business parlance, he ‘owns’ the role, much as Olivier does ‘Richard III’…or Ray Charles owns the song, ‘Georgia’…or Judith Anderson is unmatched as ‘Medea.’
We who are fortunate to know Jeffrey Sanzel personally, realize what a remarkable acting job this kindly and most generous man has turned in over the years. Indeed, it would be a simple matter to harbor a lifelong animosity for the nasty, curmudgeonly skinflint he portrays if one were to leave the theater at intermission, so convincingly stingy is his interpretation of “A Christmas Carol’s” central figure. Prior to his redemption, that is.
But you can bet your bottom dollar that no one ever has…or ever will…bail out on this incredible show at half-time. Difficult though it might be to imagine, Sanzel’s considerable thespian skills are equaled by his expertise as a director. His insight for stagecraft is nothing short of incredible, and we experience the phenomenon with virtually every turn of phrase, pause, and gesture throughout this breathtaking show.
So stunning and downright spectacular are the special effects of Set Designer Randall Parsons and Lighting Designer Robert W. Henderson, Jr., that we hesitate to describe them in detail. To do so might deprive future audiences of surprises that they would otherwise not see coming. A woman beside me literally yelped when the ghost of ‘Scrooge’s’ partner, ‘Jacob Marley,’ emerged from Hell so convincingly that her mesmerized 6-year-old daughter felt compelled to place a comforting arm around her mother’s shoulders. That, my friends, defines successful application of art to a broad demographic!
If Sanzel’s ‘Scrooge’ is masterful…and it is…‘The Ghost of Christmas Present’ as played by James D. Schultz is equally so. Extraordinarily, this New York Film Academy-trained actor has gotten better each time I’ve seen him at Theatre Three. It seems there’s no role whose demands are beyond Schultz’s reach. James must be a dream for Sanzel to direct…and vice versa. His precise, resonant delivery is perfectly enhanced by Sound Designer, Ellen Michelmore’s reverberation. And she applies her magic to each of the otherworldly characters with virtuosity, while creating the play’s myriad sound effects.
This play is not a musical (though its theme requires the inclusion of carols beautifully sung). But just to prove that the adroit company can pull off anything asked of them, Choreographer Marquez Catherine Stewart engineers a period wassailing party (The Fezziwigs’ Ball) which is absolutely charming. Nor is the dance merely a gratuitous inclusion. As much as any aspect of the play’s perfectly timed resolution, it signals ‘Scrooge’s’ welcome redemption…as Jeffrey Sanzel outstandingly turns him into the giddy, loveable fellow we’d all wished the old cheapskate to be from the beginning.
In sum: To refer to Theatre Three’s “A Christmas Carol” as ‘Broadway on Main Street’ is to compliment Broadway.
For tickets, contact the box office at: 631-928-9100 Group sales: 631: 928-9202
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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eleven novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His newest book, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s website is www.JebsBooks.com