No Bah Humbugs Here

St. Petersburg City Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ a Treasured Standby

By Jeff Donnelly

Director David Collins has quite a cast to wrangle in St. Petersburg City Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”

KRISTI DEMERS-CROWELL

“There is no heart,” said Mark Twain after attending a reading of “A Christmas Carol” by its author Charles Dickens. “No feeling – it is nothing but glittering frostwork.” Twain’s sharp wit was dead-on about a lot of things, but glittering frostwork doesn’t have legs like this holiday classic. It’s been beloved, adapted, staged, and spoofed endlessly since publication in 1843, and St. Petersburg City Theatre’s most recent production has more heart than Scrooge has gold coins, so Mr. Twain can stick that in his pipe.

Of all the Marleys, Ebeneezers, and Tiny Tims one could choose from this time of year, the standout charm of SPCT’s take on the old standby is the genuine joy this cast emanates as they put it up. There’s a wide spectrum of talent, age, and experience on stage for this production that makes it all the more engaging. Director David W. Collins (who also adapted the story for this stage) has a lot of townsfolk and a handful of ghosts to wrangle, but he and his team manage to gracefully transport us through all corners of time and Victorian London with the help of some cleverly designed, multi-functional set pieces.

The daunting task of wielding the top hat and walking stick of old Scrooge – one of the most recognizable villains/heroes in literary history – falls to stage vet Allen Coyle, whose grumbles of “Bah Humbug” and impressive mutton chops more than meet the challenge. And speaking of challenges, try to not come away from this show wishing Jim Gunning’s earnest, optimistic, forgiving Bob Cratchit was your dad.

Julian Vega, like many cast members, gamely takes on double-duty as Young Marley – who helped lure Scrooge over to the dark side – and Scrooge’s nephew Fred – whose dogged persistence helps to bring him back. Kelsey Gonzalez pulls this off beautifully too, as Cratchit’s daughter Martha and, heartbreakingly, as Ebeneezer’s lost love, Belle.

And folks say that in show business one should never work with animals or children as they’re both too unpredictable, but maybe those folks need to meet Adelaide Martino. As Belle’s young daughter Elizabeth, but also – most affectingly – as Tiny Tim, Ms. Martino breaks and warms hearts as well as any professional and makes that famous last line (you know the one) pay off big time for all of us.

St. Petersburg City Theatre, 4025 31st St. S., St. Petersburg. Through Dec. 12: Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. $23; $15, students; and $10, under 10. spcitytheatre.org.