Does holiday magic of Scrooge, ‘Nutcracker’ translate online?
In all honesty, there’s never been a time when I’ve felt more empathy for Scrooge.
After a harsh year of losses, personal and societal, I feel a distinct kinship with miserly old Ebenezer, scoffing “Bah! Humbug!” at all displays of merriment. Let’s just say this year I put up the Christmas decorations out of obligation instead of joy.
That sense of burden felt just a little lighter after listening to the playful and inventive radio play version of American Conservatory Theater’s Yuletide jewel, “A Christmas Carol: On Air.” If you’re struggling to get into the spirit of the holidays, this fresh take on the Charles Dickens chestnut will put a sprig of holly in your heart.
While the metatheatrical narration that frames this adaptation confused my 10-year- old daughter Daphne, who prefers her holiday classics straight up, she thought it was a real hoot to listen to a play in her jammies.
For me, the heart of this experience, which was directed by Peter J. Kuo, was the feeling of being immersed in Dickensian London, a shadowy realm of splendor and squalor, lit by the unmistakable voice of consummate Bay Area actor James Carpenter, that signature blend of gravel and velvet, and the redoubtable tartness of Sharon Lockwood as Scrooge’s beleaguered servant Mrs. Dilber.
If you close your eyes, I told Daphne, you can imagine sitting in the stately Geary Theater, gazing up at the bejeweled dome ceiling and waiting for the curtain to rise. This she did, after first serving herself a colossal dish of ice cream and cocooning herself in a furry blanket. This reviewer went with dark chocolate-covered almonds and silk pajamas.
Of course the real sustenance
of “Carol” remains its commentary on a heartless society where the rich abandon the poor. That gut-punch lands even harder this year. The naked power of Dickens’ social critique, cast into high relief by the tragedies of the pandemic, more than made up for some technical difficulties on opening night.
Emboldened by the warmth of this digital “Carol,” we decided to also embark on a visit to “Nutcracker Online,” another holiday treasure reimagined for these unprecedented times.
Daphne enjoyed clicking around the virtual model of the opulent War Memorial Opera House but the party scene, with its magnificent Christmas
tree and sumptuous Edwardianstyle costumes, was by far her favorite aspect of the production, which was filmed at San Francisco Ballet in 2007. Mommy was thrilled, as ever, by that transcendent Tchaikovsky score.
My daughter very much admired Drosselmeyer’s (Damian Smith) sparkly coat of purple and blue, which she dubbed worthy of a “Harry Potter” wizard, her highest compliment. She was also particularly tickled by the pretty pink wind-up toy ballerina and the grand staircase banister, which she’d love a chance to slide down.
She also adored that this Clara (Elizabeth Powell) defeats the evil Mouse King herself, clev
erly ensnaring him in a gigantic mousetrap while he battles the heroic Nutcracker. ( We had to watch that bit twice!)
Daphne did make sure to point out that little girls and boys don’t actually like to dance together in real life. However, I had the distinct impression that anything that reminded her of Christmas tradition, the way we usually celebrate the holidays, was guaranteed to bring delight this year.
Getting to relive fond memories of “Carol” and “Nutcracker,” no matter how removed from the accustomed manner, was a real treat. So much has been taken away from children this year, from in-person school to playgrounds and sleepovers, that any little bit of whimsy is welcome.
Nothing will ever match the magic of live performance, the visceral electricity of the stage. But revisiting these beloved winter rituals, during this most brutal of years for us all, feels like a gift to be cherished.