In Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” an old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by ghosts to get him to change his ways before it’s too late.
It’s a seasonal classic for a reason. Even with updates and twists, the meat of the story still rings true today.
Rob Nowak of Aurora is playing the role of Scrooge in Albright Community Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” which runs Dec. 2-11 at the theater space in Batavia. He played Scrooge before for the Albright in 2016. He also played the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s earthly partner, for Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles.
He appreciates Ebenezer Scrooge because he’s an exaggerated version of an everyman’s worst traits — selfish, narcissistic and narrow-minded.
“It reminds me as I got older that there’s more to life than just me,” he said. “You turn into a better listener, more of a giver, more of a patient person. I love the growth that he has in the play. I love the energy I have when I’m doing him. He’s very passionate; even in his nastiness, I have to show passion. And in the end … the catharsis is so cleansing. I love the range of emotions that I go through in this play.”
There’s a bit of a modern twist in the Albright’s production, he said.
“They’ve got me shedding a lot of my English accent and being more of a modern, nasty business owner,” he said. “The Ghosts of Past and Present also come up as laissez-faire, cool, slick characters. They’re not like the characters from the book.”
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He recognizes the pressure of playing such an iconic role but doesn’t let it overwhelm him.
“Luckily, since I’ve been through it a couple times, I know the lines. A lot of them are quickly remembered but a lot are new because there are different adaptations,” he said. “For example, in this one, they delve into Scrooge’s fantasies with books from when he was younger because he was left alone a lot.
“I have to learn extra dialogue because I’m talking about these fantasy characters that I had in my mind to entertain me when I was a little lonely boy. It’s an honor to play this role because it’s all-encompassing of emotions and the journey that it takes. If you were to take a survey of actors and ask them what is the one of the most fulfilling, challenging roles you could play, this would be it.”
“A Christmas Carol” is a classic of the season because it gives people a shot of Christmas spirit, he said.
“It helps define the season. It’s a ritual,” he said. “It’s a story you never get tired of. It’s just a warm Christmas story of hope and redemption and love and celebration of life.”
Here are some other productions of “A Christmas Carol” to put you in the mood.
“A Christmas Carol — the Musical”: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 18 at Wheaton Drama Playhouse 111, 111 N. Hale St., Wheaton. ALS performances are Dec. 4 and 9. Tickets are $23-$26. 630-260-1820; wheatondrama.org.
Wheaton Drama presents a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
“A Christmas Carol”: A Live Radio Play: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1-2 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 3-4 at the Philip Lynch Theatre at Lewis University, 1 University Parkway, Romeoville. Tickets are $3-$13. 815-838-0500; lewisu.edu/academics/theatre/plt.htm.
The holiday classic is retold as a live 1940s radio broadcast, complete with vintage commercials, music and sound effects. Actors will perform the roles of several characters.
Albright Community Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol”: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2-3, 9-10 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 3-4 and 10-11 at the Batavia Government Center, third floor, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia. Tickets are $23 for adults and $18 for students and seniors 65 and older. 630-406-8838; albrighttheatre.com.
The Batavia theater stages the classic Dickens play.
“A Christmas Carol: A Live Musical Radio Play”: 4 p.m. Dec. 3; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 and 9; 2 p.m. Dec. 4 and 11 in the board room of the Mundelein Village Hall, 300 Plaza Circle, Mundelein. Tickets are free. 847-949-3200; mundelein.org.
The Mundelein Arts Commission presents the play brought to life by local actors and with musical accompaniment.
Children’s Theatre presents “A Wicked Christmas Carol”: 6 p.m. Dec. 3 and 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Tinley Park Performing Arts Center, 16801 S. 80th Ave., Tinley Park. Tickets are $8. 708-342-4200; facebook.com/tinleyparkPAC.
“Wicked” meets “A Christmas Carol” when Children’s Theatre of Tinley Park performs a play about what happens when the Wicked Witch of the West is whisked away by a ghost who shows her scenes from her past, present and future in an attempt to change her ways.
“A Christmas Carol” the musical: 8 p.m. Dec. 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 and 3 p.m. Dec. 11 and 18 at the Riverfront Playhouse, 11 & 13 Water St., Aurora. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. 630-897-9496; riverfrontplayhouse.com/.
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This is the 28th anniversary production of the musical written by the late Jack Schultz.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.