Crystal Lake actor stars in Metropolis’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ in Arlington Heights

Crystal Lake resident Stephen Connell reprises his role as Ebenezer Scrooge for the 11th time in the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre production of “A Christmas Carol,” playing through Dec. 23 in Arlington Heights.

Connell says he loves the arc of Scrooge, specifically his emotional journey: “the range of experience – both good and bad – that he goes through, ending with genuine joy and relief. His life is turned around.”

Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” as a novella, published first in London in 1843 under the title “A Christmas Carol in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.” Dickens was influenced by the experience of his own youth after paying visits to a school for London’s destitute children.

The tale was one of his most successful.

Metropolis’ play this year is an adaptation by Jacqueline Goldfinger. The marvelous, well-paced production is directed by Jeff Award winner Lorenzo Rush Jr., and clocks in at 80 minutes with no intermission. It embraces magic, special effects, joy, Christmas spirit and carols. And don’t worry, those famous lines of Scrooge, Tim and Fred are still retained.

An energetic, multiple-role ensemble cast of 27 is enhanced by a strong creative team: music direction by Ken McMullen; a simple and effective scenic design by Mara Zinky and Jonathan Berg-Einhorn; and costumes by Grace Weir that are visually attractive, colorful, elegant and era-appropriate, although I do wish Marley had more chains weighing him down. Lighting by Levi J. Wilkins and sound by Stefanie Senior are flawless, and choreography by Kaity Paschetto (especially in the Fezziwig scene) is both engaging and entertaining. The cast looks like they are having so much fun, I wanted to join them onstage.

In this adaptation, the Crachits are relegated to basically two scenes: Christmas dinner (Christmas Present) and Tiny Tim’s death (Christmas Future). Bob Cratchit appears in the opening scene, but has few lines. Gabriel Fries plays Tiny Tim’s father and does a wonderful job portraying the impoverished, loyal, hard-working clerk (for 15 shillings per week at the firm of Scrooge & Marley Counting House). Jesi Mullins is Mrs. Crachit, and she is a spitfire. I do wish they both were onstage more. (Love that toast in which she refuses to include Scrooge’s name.)

Christian Lucas is a sweetly quiet Tiny Tim. “Their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were scanty … but they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time.”

Aaron Mann is exactly what I want in a Fezziwig, and is adorably light on his feet. His wife is played in rotation by Emily McCormick and Hannah Mary Simpson.

Kent Joseph portrays both Marley and the enormously tall Ghost of Christmas Future; supported by special effects, his spirits are quite menacing. (Scrooge even admits Christmas Future is the spirit he fears the most.) As the Ghost of Christmas Past, Samantha Buckley is kind, patient and beautifully voiced as she captures Scrooge’s “chatters” of things past. Jim LaPietra as the Ghost of Christmas Present (aka Father Christmas) is nobly popular and heartwarming.

Jack Doherty (Fred) is a talent no matter what character he’s portraying. His chemistry with Connell’s Scrooge is evident. As for Connell’s character, this is not the first time I’ve seen him as Scrooge, and every year he adapts, illustrating the pleasure of performance and words.

Connell has a luxuriant voice, and alternates between razor-sharp and touching emotions. He is credible, sincere and incandescent. You believe he is cut off from humanity after his empathy-free call to “decrease the surplus population” (he fortunately is shown the errors of his beliefs by the three ghosts Marley warns him are coming).

The year 2024 marks Metropolis’ 25th anniversary. What better way to celebrate than with the Yuletide treasure and tradition of “A Christmas Carol!”

(The show is appropriate for ages 5 and older.)

• Regina Belt-Daniels has been writing theater reviews for Shaw Local News Network for better than 10 years. She also has served on several Illinois theater boards and acted and directed in more than 40 shows in the area, ranging from the Raue Center For The Arts and Elgin Art Showcase to The Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: "A Christmas Carol”

• WHERE: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights

• WHEN: Through Dec. 23

• COST: Tickets start at $45; $24 for students

• INFORMATION: 847-577-2121, metropolisarts.com