Holiday Cheer (and Also Ghosts)

Todd Denning as the Ghost of Christmas Present (left) and Matt Daniels as Ebenezer Scrooge (right) in A Christmas Carol at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Photo credit: Mark Frohna.

A review of A Christmas Carol

by Meika Olson, age 17

‘Tis the season for Christmas musicals, and over at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the most classic Christmas musical of all time was playing in the Pabst Theatre! This 50th anniversary production is a wonderfully crafted show, and if anyone were to say otherwise… that’s humbug.

Anyone who knows the show A Christmas Carol knows that no matter what, the show doesn’t work without a talented Ebenezer Scrooge, and Matt Daniels delivered with a delightfully grumpy portrayal of this classic character. Other standout acting performances belonged to Emily S. Chang as a dazzling Belle, Kevin Kantor as a truly original Ghost of Christmas Past, and Reese Madigan as a cheerily heartfelt Bob Cratchit.

The show unfortunately did not contain as much singing as I would have liked. When there was music, it was often classic Christmas songs that almost everyone in the audience would know. However, whenever the actors onstage did open their mouths to sing, their talent stuck out even more. The ensemble’s harmonies were always full, warm, and gorgeous. My favorite moment of the entire show was the song shared by Jordan Anthony Arredondo as Fred, his wife Ellen, and all of their party guests. The quiet beauty of their singing in that moment was absolutely stunning.

Sitting in the audience of the gorgeous Pabst Theatre, I felt completely immersed into the world of A Christmas Carol, and this couldn’t have been done by simply the actors alone. Todd Edward Ivins’ set design, involving revolving buildings and extremely detailed scenes, was simply amazing. The costumes, designed by Alexander B. Tecoma, did their job exceptionally well with everything from Scrooge’s simple nightclothes to the beautifully colorful ensemble looks. Anyone who knows anything about fashion history could see the care and detail put into the historical and literary accuracy of the costumes as the actors took us through multiple decades of the past.

All in all, the yearly tradition A Christmas Carol at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre was a delightful, immersive journey, sure to leave any audience member with a heart full of Christmas joy and wonder.