'A Merry Little Christmas Carol' by Westport Playhouse - A Review

WESTPORT, CT - Westport Country Playhouse is presenting A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS CAROL in partnership with WSHU Public Radio, which means you do not have to travel to Westport in order to enjoy it.

The free-of-charge audio play, which features Paxton Whitehead in the role of Scrooge, offers everyone a holiday experience from your very own home. I was able to catch the two-hour premiere on Saturday, December 19 but there is one additional chance to experience the show at a rebroadcast on WSHU on Saturday, December 26, at 8 p.m. WSHU frequencies and locations are listed at wshu.org in the About Us drop-down menu.

A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS CAROL was written and directed by Mark Shanahan, adapted from his play of the same name, and based on the classic “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The holiday show runs approximately two hours and is appropriate for ages 6 and up.

Our merry little audio play invites audiences to feel as if they are nestled in their seats back at the Playhouse, watching some of their favorite actors in captivating roles as we raise the curtain on yet another wonderful story, well told. - writer/director Mark Shanahan

To that end, the writer wrote a prologue of sorts in which Mark Lamos, the Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, invites listeners into a seat in the Playhouse in Westport. I could almost feel as if I were sitting in my usual red seat in the back row of the beautiful theatre and it honestly made this broadcast a bit more special for me.

Billed as “part ghost story, part celebration,” the show features original music and sound effects to propel this classic tale of human transformation. All of this was well recorded and added just the right amount of reality/fantasy to both parts. During his intermission interview, the sound designer John Gromada shared that he was able to suggest to the actors moving to another location in their home and even to get under a blanket in order to record their voices more effectively. Working under this pressure only enhanced their performances, I suspect.

I appreciated the additional humor that Mr. Shanahan has inserted into the script, giving it a slightly more contemporary feel. A first act recap after the virtual intermission was appreciated and fun.

Paxton Whitehead plays the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the first time in his career. Mr. Whitehead has appeared in multiple Westport Country Playhouse productions; his Broadway credits include “The Importance of Being Earnest,” “My Fair Lady” “Noises Off”, “Camelot, which earned him a Tony Award nomination, and “Lettice and Lovage” with Maggie Smith.
The entire cast are Playhouse alumni and friends. Brian J. Carter appears as Bob Cratchit, Joel de la Fuente as Fred, Sana ’Prince’ Sarr as The Street Urchin/Peter Cratchit, Triney Sandoval as Jacob Marley, Mia Dillon as Mrs. Dilber, Geneva Carr as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Pearl Sun as Fan, Richard Henry as Old Fezziwig, Joe Delafield as Dick Wilkins, Danielle Davenport as Belle, Britney Coleman as The Ghost of Christmas Present, Sarah Manton as Mrs. Cratchit, Catherine Shanahan as Martha Cratchit, Theo Adamson as Tiny Tim, and John Gromada as The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Mark Shanahan himself appears as Mr. Creakle and Mark Lamos, the Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, does very well as The Narrator of the story.

Director/playwright/adapter Mark Shanahan has appeared at Westport Country Playhouse in “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Tryst,” “Sedition,” “David Copperfield,” “Journey's End,” and over 20 Script in Hand playreadings. He is co-curator of the Playhouse’s Script in Hand series and is the author of another holiday adaptation, “A Sherlock Carol.” He is a graduate of Brown University (BA) and Fordham University (MA, faculty).

Connecticut Critics Circle Award winner John Gromada, who conceived original music, sound design, and audio production, is a composer and sound designer for theater, film, television, and dance. He has been on the production team for 10 Westport Country Playhouse shows. The sound was up to the quality required for a radio broadcast, making it appear that the actors were working in the same room. “In keeping with the situation,” the production was recorded for audio broadcast under strict COVID-19 protocols, with actors recording remotely from their own homes. The actors had to become their own sound person and they all rose to the occasion.

Kudos to the Playhouse’s production team for working under some pressure of their own. The team includes Anne Keefe, casting and artistic administration; Joel David Abbott, associate sound designer; Erin Joy Swank, stage manager; David Dreyfoos, associate producer and director of production; and RJ Romeo, technical director and associate director of production. For WSHU, staffing includes A. Rima Dael, station manager; Tom Kuser, program director and “Morning Edition” host; and Julie Freddino, production director.

Be sure to stay tuned for the fascinating behind the scenes information that is shared following each of the two acts of the WSHU broadcast, These behind-the-scenes interviews are hosted by Tom Kuser, WSHU’s program director and “Morning Edition” host, with guests Mark Shanahan, writer and director; John Gromada, composer, sound designer, and audio producer; A. Rima Dael, WHSU station manager; speaks with Mark Lamos, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director.

If you are not able to listen to the WSHU rebroadcast, the audio play will be available on the Playhouse’s website, December 19 through January 3, along with a full cast list, an activity book for kids, and other details related to the making of this production. The production was recorded for audio broadcast under strict COVID-19 protocols, with actors recording remotely from their own homes.

“A Merry Little Christmas Carol” production sponsors are Mary Ellen and Jim Marpe, and Judy and Scott Phares. The holiday show runs approximately two hours and is appropriate for ages 6 and up. I recommend standing up during the intermission just like you would in the theatre.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews in a normal year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the CCC Facebook page.