Long Beach Playhouse’s annual “A Christmas Carol” never better nor more needed

You might ask why, nine days after my second eye surgery in a month, I dragged myself out to Long Beach Playhouse’s A Christmas Carol despite having seen them do it maybe a dozen times over the years. Am I that much of a Dickens fanboy? Do I live for all things Xmas? Is the money I make as a theatre critic that good? 

The actual answer has something to do with my favorite line: “I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow–passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And […] though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good.” 

It’s a reminder that does me good, every year — and one that feels all the more needful just a month after an election that confirmed (as if we didn’t already know) that more than half of my fellow passengers are profoundly, dangerously misguided on their journey.  

I’m particularly glad I made it out, because despite the Playhouse’s once again hewing to a traditionalist take (which they’ve done for several years now, after a few highly satisfying departures during the previous decade), this was the best yet.

We are led into the Playhouse’s re-telling by a present-day prelude full of familiar passers-by (Xmas-shopping hustle-bustle, a crypto bro with eyes full of $$$), including a daddy who finds his daughter doesn’t know from whence we get the term ‘Scrooge.’ “You don’t know the story of A Christmas Carol?” he marvels. “I have really failed as a parent.”

And so we are transported into the tale: Scrooge, rich in pocket but poor of heart, is shown the error of his humbug ways via a series of ghostly visitations (Christmases Past/Present/Future, plus his poor old miserly partner Jacob Marley), then turns it all around in time to save Tiny Tim from early death, and “God bless us, everyone!”

While your typical Scrooge is a fairly bombastic curmudgeon (which can work fine), Scott Ruiz seethes more than he expectorates, less a caricature of miserliness at war with the world than a genuine human with a closed heart who simply doesn’t want to be bothered with sentimental claptrap like charity goodwill towards etc. It’s a wonderful choice, understated yet rich (no pun intended).

Director Joy Arzaga has thought through this show’s every beat. I’m not sure where her “production design” ends and the lighting (Melissa Mejia) and sound design (Sean Gray) begin, but never has the Playhouse’s Main Stage multidimensional sound rig and lighting been used to smarter effect, always the perfect complement to action and mood. This includes numerous sound cues meant to sync with actors’ dialog, which they nail every single time.

One of Arzaga’s boldest choices is to score this 19th-century story with a variety of 20th-century Christmas music (rendered by string quartets, a cappella, etc.). She never hits a wrong note, with tunes by Mariah Carey and John Lennon & Yoko Ono helping to generate a couple of especially touching moments.

Arzaga also injects some unexpected humor into the proceedings. Scott Ruiz excels here, too, as does Kaylie Jackel as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Benjamin Rasmussen in an uncredited bit of slapstick (which he takes on in addition to his Fred Hollowell) that gets maybe the biggest laugh of the night.

This year’s installment of Long Beach Playhouse’s A Christmas Carol is getting a particularly short run, which, coupled with my missing opening night, means that this weekend is your only chance to catch it. By all means, do. You may be surprised at the good it’ll do ya.

A Christmas Carol at Long Beach Playhouse
Times: Thurs–Sat 8:00 p.m., Sun 2:00 p.m.
The show runs through Dec. 22.
Cost: $14 to $24
Details: (562) 494-1014; LBplayhouse.org 
Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach