Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Life & Arts

Alley's 'Carol' singing to spookier tune

Classic tale, theater holiday tradition gets a bit ghostlier this season 

By Dusti Rhodes
The Daily Cougar

The ghost story of Christmas gets a spooky makeover this season thanks to the Alley Theatre's former associate artistic director Michael Wilson. Wilson returns to the Alley along with his interpretation of the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol, that was presented by the company in the early '90s.

Resident actor James Black takes over the role of Ebenezer Scrooge; James Belcher steps down from the role after five years as the crabby miser. Black is as superb as ever in the role, taking a much angrier approach than Belcher. The new Scrooge tends to be more on edge and more likely to fly into a rage at the mention of anything cheerful.

In the beginning of the play, it is almost hard to believe the protagonist could find anything to be happy about. But by the last scene, audience members see Scrooge can be just as merry as irate, as Black transforms him into a joyful man brimming with repentance in the streets.

When Wilson's Carol first ran at the Alley, it was revered for its Wizard of Oz feel, and theatergoers seeing it for the first time will no doubt find it just as charming as critics have in the past. Each ghost (Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future) is an important part of Scrooge's everyday life (i.e. they are in debt to him). Before Scrooge goes home on Christmas Eve, he visits each one to collect what they owe him. Later that night, when the clock strikes one, two and three o'clock, each character revisits Scrooge. This time, it's not to repay him, but to offer him a glimpse of his life as it was and as it may be.

The most notable change (and certainly the ghastliest) is the addition of apparitions that appear throughout the performance to introduce other characters and serve as transitions into other scenes.

The white-clad cadavers dance about the stage as zombies rattling the chains they forged in life. Black lights are used to reveal the reason for their untimely deaths -- knives, axes, nooses and the like. The effect sets the mood as the audience members prepare to be spooked, awed and taught a lesson they may need to be reminded of each Christmas.

No matter how many times theatergoers have seen the Alley's or another theater's production of A Christmas Carol, one of the nation's most prestigious companies offers a delightful holiday experience for everyone this season.

For more information on tickets, call the Alley's box office at (713) 288-8421 or visit www.alleytheatre.org.

Remember to ask about special performances such as the Red Ribbon Toy Drive, where patrons will receive a 20 percent discount for bringing new, unwrapped toys to the Alley, 615 Texas Ave. Donations will go to Houston children infected with HIV/AIDS.

Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu