The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge will once again learn his fate in Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s annual production of the Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” through Dec. 24.
Performances are 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.
Not only is “A Christmas Carol” an annual tradition for Metropolis, it’s also a tradition for many of the people involved in this year’s production.
This will be the eighth time that Steve Connell of Crystal Lake has played Ebenezer Scrooge at Metropolis; he has played the role seven times at other venues. This year’s adaptation is by Krista Scott.
Connell reported that he was in the first production of “A Christmas Carol” at Metropolis 20 years ago.
“There’s no other role like it for an actor,” he declared. “The extreme from being grumpy and surly, then he get scared, then he gets sad. The arc of the character is unlike anything else that I’ve ever experienced.”
Connell noted that, even though he may be saying some of the same lines, his performance changes every year, based on the adaptation selected, the directors’ guidance and the other actors in the show.
“This year, there’s only two actors that were in it last year,” he said. “Everybody has their own take, which makes you react differently.”
Many audience members seem to come to see this show year after year. Connell thinks that’s because, “It makes them reflect on their lives,” he said. “It’s the same reason I don’t mind doing it every year. It’s partly because audiences seem to appreciate it and like to see it over and over again.”
Grayslake resident Robin M. Hughes is celebrating her 20th year of being a director at Metropolis. She came to the theater for the first time in 2002 when she was cast in a role in the first production ever staged at Metropolis, which happened to be “A Christmas Carol.”
Her current positions include casting director and lead artistic associate. This year she is directing “A Christmas Carol,” continuing a tradition that started before she came to Metropolis.
“I’ve either been in it, or I’ve cast it, or I’ve directed it every year since I was in my early 20s,” Hughes said. “So I’ve been working on this show for almost 30 years.”
The director indicated that she has enjoyed every production of the show.
“Working on it in different iterations has been great because you get to work with different artists,” Hughes explained. In addition, “It’s a timeless story. Especially during these times when there’s so much volatility in the world, we all really need to feel that we have a chance to change and grow, and Scrooge represents that for all of us.”
For this year’s production, Hughes is focusing on the words in the script rather than creating a “concept” for the show.
She explained, “There’s no time that I feel is more important than right now that we actually listen to the words that Dickens was saying because a lot of what he’s saying is the same thing that’s happening in our society right now.”
Ken McMullen of Palatine estimates that this is his sixth or seventh time as music director of “A Christmas Carol” at Metropolis.
“I just love the show,” McMullen said. “Every year there’s different directors and the vision is different, so it keeps it fresh.” He added that the music doesn’t vary much from year to year.
“Every now and then, we’ve added some harmony,” he said.
Michael Wagner of Palatine has been the lighting designer for every Metropolis production of “A Christmas Carol.”
Wagner said “the magic of it” keeps the annual project interesting for him. He added that it’s always about the attempt to make Scrooge a better person, but that each director has a different way of interpreting that.
He noted that the color palette for the lighting is similar each year, but within those color palettes there’s room for a lot of change, if required.
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This year, Wagner reported there’s a lot more “atmospheric stuff” that includes fog elements. “It makes everything look that much more weird, spooky, ethereal,” he said.
There will be an ASL performance at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 and a sensory-friendly performance at 3 p.m. Dec. 18.
‘A Christmas Carol’
When: through Dec. 24
Where: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights
Tickets: $35; $20 students
Information: 847-577-2121; metropolisarts.com
Myrna is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.