‘A Christmas Carol’ gets the musical treatment

“A Musical Christmas Carol”

December 10-23

Byham Theater

Pittsburgh CLO

Tickets: $14… “A Musical Christmas Carol”

December 10-23

Byham Theater

Pittsburgh CLO

Tickets: $14 through Pitt Arts

Charles Dickens never really liked Pittsburgh. In 1842, on a visit, he likened our city to the dreary Birmingham, England, and in 1868 he described it as “Hell with the lid off.”

But despite his repugnance at our (now-vanished) soot and our industrial drudgery, our beloved “hell” has become a center of celebration for arguably his most beloved tale, “A Christmas Carol.”

Hosted by Pittsburgh CLO, “A Musical Christmas Carol” is becoming as much a holiday tradition as, say, Light Up Night. This, director Tim Gregory thinks, is because of the story’s inherent power.

“It’s a compelling show,” Gregory said. “It has the capacity to move people. Any time you’re part of being able to tell a story like that it’s exciting.”

The play has a long history in the Steel City. Now in its 18th year, “A Musical Christmas Carol” began when artistic director David H. Bell was commissioned to create a musical version of the holiday classic.

But maybe “musical” isn’t the right word — there are never moments when characters break out in an original, plot-driven song number. Rather, the music is what Gregory called “standard Christmas carols with exceptional arrangements.” According to Gregory, the carols — all songs the audience will recognize — serve the purpose of adding to the “mood, background, underscoring or scene change.”

In addition to the unconventional integration of music, the play uses a remarkably limited number of actors — some of whom have as many as four roles.

“Different people bring different things to the show,” Jeff Howell, this year’s Bob Cratchit and a 15-year veteran of the play, said. “And they’re always interesting, no matter who it is or what character.”

One such actor is Ted Watts, Jr., who juggles personalities between a charity worker, Mr. Fezziwig, the Ghost of Christmas Present and a businessman.

“[Juggling characters] is definitely a challenge,” Watts said. “There’s not only a lot of changes, but you’re trying to create four different personalities.”

Despite the burden of trying to embody four separate people (or spirits), Watts said the production’s encouraging atmosphere keeps him confident.

“There’s a lot of people who’ve also done the show before, and that’s always nice,” he said. “I just appreciate that the people have the confidence in me to give me that opportunity.”

Gregory said the cast’s confidence is no accident.

“I think anytime you do a show you shoot for creating an atmosphere where people really enjoy being around each other — and that’s not always the case. But specifically in a show like this, where it’s a legitimate ensemble show, where everybody is almost equally involved on every level, you do create a sense of camaraderie,” Gregory said. “If one person drops the ball, then it has a domino effect.”

It doesn’t hurt that the cast is entirely Pittsburgh-based.

“You don’t have to have a cast from New York in order to produce a play here,” Gregory said. “[Having a Pittsburgh cast] can generate a sense of community.”

“In our free time, we talk about restaurants, hangouts, a bar that somebody would go to or a neighborhood that somebody lives in — we’re all Pittsburghers,” Howell said. “Some of the younger cast members, I’ve known since they were Cratchit children — 10, 15 years ago. So when you see them come around again it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, I remember you.’”

One young cast member who has graced the posters lately is the new Tiny Tim — an outgoing 6-year-old whom the cast has integrated into their social network.

“Today, when the others were rehearsing one scene, I’d sit outside and throw a ball with him in the hallway, or we’d sit and color and talk,” Howell said. “He’s a good kid. He’s really smart and outgoing.”

All this — the music, the mentoring, the hometown bond — would be a moot point if the play didn’t convey the same warmth and spirit of the book. Thankfully, Gregory said, Dickens’ story, in whatever medium, never fails to charm the audience — eclipsing forever the author’s insults to our city.

“It’s no wonder that here we are, 150 years past the creation of [“A Christmas Carol”], and it’s being done all over the world, in just about every city,” Gregory said. “That’s a testament to a well-written story.”