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Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Ian Stauffer, is
led by the Spirit of Christmas Present, played
by Sabrina Chan, in the OYP production of 'A
Christmas Carol'. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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No
holiday season can be complete without watching two holiday
classics, "The Nutcracker" and Charles Dickens'
"A Christmas Carol".
The
former is being presented by the Ballet Jörgen at
the Shenkman Arts Centre on Dec. 17 and 18, while the
latter is being presented this weekend at the same location
by the Orléans Young Players Theatre School.
The
ambitious production is 90 minutes long with an intermission
and features a massive cast ranging in age from four to
60.
OYP's
artistic director Kathi Langston does a remarkable job
in adapting the Dickens' classic to the Richcraft Theatre
stage. For the most part the script stays true to the
original story and prose which many traditionalists like
myself will appreciate.
As
for the play itself, Ian Stauffer does an remarkable job
as Ebenezer Scrooge, bringing the perfect amount of surliness,
humbuggery and downright dastardliness to the lead role.
Randy
Bellini was exceptional as always as the ghost of Jacob
Marley, and Biz MacDonald was born to be Scrooge's chamber
maid. The look on her face when Scrooge goes to hug her
in the next-to-last-scene is worth the price of admission
alone.
Other
performances of note include Matt Miwa as Bob Cratchit,
Michael Yuill as Scrooge's nephew Fred, Sabrina Chan as
the Spirit of Christmas Present, and Kennedy Mackill,
who was adorable as Tiny Tim.
MacDonald,
who was the senior member of the cast, gets additional
kudos as well as the costume mistress. It's not easy keeping
track of 70 costumes let alone making sure they match
the period and all fit properly.
The
attention to detail of the costuming stood in stark contrast
to the minimalist staging which was dominated by a large
screen used to project background scenes on to it
At
first the projected light is a distraction, but you soon
got used to it. In fact, the shadows it created on the
screen only added to the ambiance of the play.
"A
Christmas Carol" will never grow old. As a tale of
self-discovery, enlightenment and redemption, its message
is universal and is fitting for an audience of all ages.
The
OYP production continues today with performances at 2 p.m.
and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children
and students.
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Ebenezer Scrooge was himself as a young man
talking to his ex-fiance Belle, as the Spirits
of Christmas Past look on, in the OYP production
of 'A Christmas Carol'. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. presents Oyster Wednesdays every Wednesday Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near the Innes Road McDonalds. For more information visit 
THE OTTAWA SCHOOL OF THEATRE presents an all ages production of Treasure Island in the Richcraft Theatre at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Showtimes Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets $20 for adults. Students and youth 25 and under $10. To purchase visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents Michael Ben-Shalom live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
TAPROOM 260 presents The Underground live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
CLASSIC PIANO RECITAL – Orléans pianist Emily Hou will be performing works by Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Liszt at Kanata United Church as part os the Beaverbrook Community Concert Series. The recital will start promptly at 3 p.m. Kanata United Church is located at 33 Leacock Dr. in Kanata. For more information visit 
