The Palace Theatre in Manchester, NH opened their production of “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 2. The Charles Dickens classic has become an annual tradition for them.
In the story, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. The ghosts reveal to Scrooge the impact of his past, present, and future in the hopes that he may change his ways.
The play was truly a treat. It was lively and filled with an attention to detail that showed the appreciation the theatre has for the source material and its significance to many.
My eyes grew wide as a single spot lit up the stage. The loving Narrator hobbled out to first address the audience and feelings of excitement overwhelmed me.
The stage was brought to life from the very beginning. The opening number of a collection of Christmas staples, accompanied by the live orchestra, was truly breathtaking.
I first noticed the set design, with the tall buildings mimicking the streets of London. Then the cast of townsfolk came out singing and dancing. The choreography was impressive and visually interesting. They even had people up in the windows of the buildings!
When the first act was over I was speechless. I let myself be taken on an adventure of wonder and learned a few lessons along the way.
The actors gave great performances across the board. Extra praise must be given to George F. Piehl’s Ebenezer Scrooge who truly stole the show. His performance was emotive, humorous, and heartfelt.
The constraints could be felt in certain aspects, however. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, for example, was a tall puppet. While I understood what they were getting at, in execution it ended up looking kind of goofy
“A Christmas Carol” will be running up until December 23. Dates can be found on The Palace Theatre’s website. I would not recommend missing this one.

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