Area theaters usually pull out all the stops during the Christmas season, and this year is no different for those who love good stage productions.
Alas, the one show I was fortunate to see this past weekend was “A Christmas Carol” at the Murfreesboro Center for the Arts. Playing through Dec. 21, Director Andrew Ford and The Center Players put on quite a production of the age old classic, the director himself playing the ghost of Jacob Marley, the late office partner of Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Anthony Cimino. Mr. Cimino has been seen often as of late onstage at the Center, and continues to do justice as the lead in shows he is in. His characterization of Scrooge was wonderful; I particularly enjoyed the way Mr. Ford centralized Scrooge, the way Dickens wrote it, rather than spread the story around to the Cratchits and the ghosts the way the story is being told on most stages today. The original story has a moral to it, and Mr. Ford, assistant director Jayne Perkins, and Mr. Cimino emphasized this.
I enjoyed watching the cast, to see if their heart was in the production, the story, or even the spirit of the season. To my satisfaction, their hearts were all over the stage. I particularly enjoyed Spencer Ford’s accordion work and his British accent; he always puts out 110 percent. The lighting was excellent, the blocking good considering the amount of actors on stage. I chuckled upon seeing the set?even with a few props and pieces moved around, the stage did cast a reflection of the past . . . like a glass menagerie.
If you want the warm fuzzies and a classic spirit of Christmas, this masterpiece is the story to see. It’s at the Center for the next two weekends.
Series Continues at MLT
This coming weekend winds up the “12 Days of Christmas” at Murfreesboro Little Theatre. What an incredible amount of joy and love this event has produced since Dec. 3, and it continues through Sunday, Dec. 14. MLT puts on this special event for children’s nonprofit organizations each year, and it just keeps getting bigger and better.
Take a night to see and hear the wonderment the folks at the MLT give our community.
Hard Financial Times
Lamplighter’s Theatre winds up “It’s A Wonderful Life” this weekend, through tears and laughter with the Bailey Family and ironically hitting close to home this year with bank failings and tyrants asking for everyone’s money, this production is being done as a 1940s radio show, the “troupe” performing before a live audience. Doors open at 7 p.m., 4 p.m. on Sunday, and is well worth the drive down Old Nashville Hwy to Smyrna. I will be in my seat tonight, Thursday, Dec. 11, to review this classic Christmas event.
A Trip to Tuna, Texas
Friday night, if I am permitted to be there, I will review “Tuna Christmas” at the Arts Center of Cannon County for the next issue of The Pulse. Also playing through the 21st, this has been an audience favorite for 25 years as the two blue hairs of Tuna, Texas, get ready for the reason of the season in their tiny town.
Bring a hankie to wipe the tears of laughter; doors open at 7 p.m., 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Holiday “Homecoming”
Last but not least, “The Homecoming” plays one weekend only, at Patterson Park.
Directed by Jeff Harr, this stage version has Clay-Boy Spencer searching for his dad on Christmas Eve. Starring Jerry Bailey and Suzanne Tenpenny, this Earl Hamner Jr. storyline follows his famous book “Spencer’s Mountain,” the movie with Henry Fonda and the television show “The Waltons.”
This plays Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 5 p.m. Unfortunately, the city-owned operation doesn’t advertise or send out press releases for its shows, leaving the theater mostly empty to their beautifully done works.
But I will be there Saturday night, so . . . I will see ya at the show!
