Scrooge flexes his musical muscle at the Byham

Whether it’s Christmas past, present or future, one thing is certain ‘mdash; even the coldest… Whether it’s Christmas past, present or future, one thing is certain ‘mdash; even the coldest hearts can be warmed with a little music. And for the coldest heart of all, Scrooge’s, that’s just what it takes in The Pitsburgh CLO’s performance of the Charles Dickens classic, renamed ‘A Musical Christmas Carol,’which is storming the Byham Theatre stage through Dec. 21. ‘The story of Scrooge is the story of redemption,’ said Tim Gregory, the show’s director. ‘It’s the story of a man who has spent his life in a very kind of detached and miserly way and is redeemed in the course of a night.’ Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old man, wicked almost to the bone. One night, however, Scrooge is visited by a trio of ghosts, who take him on the journey of his life. The trip proves transformational. Scrooge opens his heart and pockets in the true spirit of Christmas. Pittsburghers are not new to ‘A Musical Christmas Carol.’ The show appeared on the city’s public stage for more than a decade. This year, however, actor Tom Atkins will take the stage as that ‘nasty old man’ named Scrooge.’ Atkins has a long history in production. He’s starred in everything from ‘Night of the Creeps,’ to ‘M*A*S*H*’ and ‘Xena: Warrior Princess.’ As a young man, he said, ‘I made my bones in New York and L.A., but came back here to Pittsburgh.’ Atkins played Arthur J. Rooney in a one man show, PIttsburgh Public Theater’s ‘The Chief,’ exploring the life of the man who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, Atkins brings unique experience to the stage as Scrooge. He’s had to fight off zombies and the living dead in movies like ‘The Fog’ and the soon to be released ‘My Bloody Valentine 3-D,’ so speaking with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future should be a breeze. ‘Friends who found out I had the part laughed, telling me I was born to be Scrooge because I am such a nasty bastard,’ said Atkins. The story is especially poignant in today’s economic climate. The play seeks to remind people of the true spirit of Christmas, not that pile of Christmas loot. It is about friends, family and providing charity to those who need it most. Director Tim Gregory pointed out what Scrooge teaches us, ‘If you move through life in a way that is selfish and self-serving, then your purpose and meaning is you.’ Scrooge is self-centered and unable to understand the greater world around him. Scrooge’s redemption, Mr. Gregory continued, teaches that ‘there is purpose to our existence.’ At the end of the play, Scrooge reflects upon his life, realizing that he must choose how he will live it, ‘I will change, I am not the man I was, I am not the man I was.” Scrooge is able to take stock of his life and make amends before he is too old or dies.’ It’s a message told through the powerful medium of theater.’ Through traditional carols and stunning special effects, ‘A Musical Christmas Carol,’ also asks the audience to reflect upon their own lives.’ ‘That’s the master goal,’ said Gregory.