A Christmas Carol Workshop
THANK YOU PAUL! For this great write up about our A Christmas Carol Workshop:
ANOTHER DAY, and WHATTHEHECK? Another original musical surfacing here in St. George? The talents just keep coming!
I got to attend a workshop preview of what could become a holiday season tradition here: Charles Dickens' "A CHRISTMAS CAROL", with new music written by Adam Record and a book adaptation scripted by Rhett Guter.
A workshop is a vehicle to "test drive" an untried theatrical work, by assembling a cast and working through the script and music to see if it will run! In this case, ENCORE provided a group of its young performers to breathe first life into this new arrival. I'd say they've succeeded!
Rehearsals began early this week with the able talents of Abi Dutton as Music Director and Aubrey Richardson sight reading the score at the piano. After only four days of finding notes and casting characters, the preview was presented quite formally. A little after 10:15AM the performers filed in, uniformly dressed in stage crew black, so as to direct focus on the material, not to individuals. They sat in a semi-circle with stands to hold the scripts in the manner of Readers' Theater. Each character would come forward to stand at an inner row to deliver lines or songs, so no memorization is required.
It is part of ENCORE'S mission to inspire young actors by putting them to work with professional actors. To this end, film veteran Corbin Allred read (and sang)the part of Ebeneezer Scrooge, while the very versatile Adam Cheney took the roles of Jacob Marley and the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present. The youngsters, most of whom have already had considerable performing experience, accounted for their parts very admirably.
The play was a satisfying reduction of the book, with all of the essential elements of the story and much of the beloved Dickens diction. Creating new music for an old favorite is a special challenge, but Adam Record has put his love of composition to good use in both melody and lyrics. I found the music fun and entertaining and would definitely like to hear it again!
At 11:25 they concluded to enthusiastic applause from those attending the preview. The purpose of the Preview is of course, is to attract supporters. Any theatrical endeavor is expensive, especially when you are exploring first-time possibilities. So Donors, here's an opportunity to support something worthwhile! Watch for a GoFundMe movement. A full staged production is scheduled for December 1 thru 16. Look for auditions coming up soon. ENCORE'S commitment to the show is so positive that a second season is already scheduled for 2023. Stay alert for future rattlings of Marley's chain as news of this event gets around. It's no "Humbug!"