Caroling Off-Key

It’s not often you see a show that throws a new take on a running classic like a Christmas Carol. Even rarer is to see a show that “breaks the fourth wall” as actors and theater goers call the imaginary space that separates an audience from the show.

This showing of Dickens Christmas Carol takes on both aspects full force. The biggest risk of this being that it can get quite confusing to those who may or may not have seen the real Christmas Carol. It does provide quite a show that I am still chuckling about. By no means is the presentation meant to be serious in any single aspect.

So, if you’re looking for your good old regular Christmas Carol, you may want to steer clear. However, if you’re looking for something fresh or just to watch some slapstick comedy for about an hour and a half, I would tell you to stop by the Blue Ridge Community Theater for a chaos-filled and humor-laden catastrophe that is Dickens Christmas Carol.

The catastrophe comes out of the idea that you’re watch a real rendition of a Christmas Carol slowly fall apart from its cast members. And speaking of cast members, keep an eye out for Elyot Crummels who plays Bob Cratchit… and a ghost… and a caroler… and a few others. I found myself anxious for the next thing to happen to this poor struggling actor who became a “cast” all himself. Running from one role to the next, Crummels manages to steal each scene away with his comic agony over everything happening.

Don’t see Dickens Christmas Carol for the classic story or the idea of traditional theater, watch this show to enjoy a story you’ve probably seen a hundred times after the bottom falls out. It does get confusing if you look to tie together for any meaning or Christmas spirit. That is why you just relax as the chaos unfolds around and enjoy it for what it is, slapstick humor at its best.