In 1939, the “Campbell Playhouse,” that sponsored the yearly radio broadcast of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, turned up the dial a notch in bringing in Orson Welles as the narrator and Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezer Scrooge. Though the original broadcast can be found online, the Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa gave the old classic new breath in recreating this vintage entertainment to the live audience.
In 1939, the “Campbell Playhouse,” that sponsored the yearly radio broadcast of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, turned up the dial a notch in bringing in Orson Welles as the narrator and Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezer Scrooge. Though the original broadcast can be found online, the Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa gave the old classic new breath in recreating this vintage entertainment to the live audience.
In “Orson Welles presents…A Christmas Carol Radio Show,” Director Robin Pollock did an amazing job in recreating this moment in entertainment history. Set as a broadcast station, the play was entertaining and engaging. On Air, and Applause signs that encouraged the audience to clap when prompted added a unique twist, bringing the feel of old radio as a welcomed edition within the production.
Multiple actors played multiple roles, and with very little in props, did a phenomenal job of transitioning from character to character, without losing the flavor of the story. This play was not only the telling of a great classic, but was full of humorous moments, both on stage and in the audience. Complete with commercials from sponsor Campbell Soups, and the audience forgetting to watch the Applause prompt was amusing and diverting.
Larry E. Fox (Orson Welles) fit the bill and his deep tone fit the character. Being in back of the stage for the most part, his facial expressions, along with a few held up signs to dig at Ray Lynch playing Bob Marley calling him a stage ham and over-actor brought relevance to the behind the scenes of audio plays. This is Fox’s first appearance with the Lamplighters and hopefully not the last. The same can be said with newcomer Jeffrey Duncan whose performance as Scrooge was believable and delightful. From the rough a gritty Scrooge to the new enlightened lover of Christmas, his script was flawless along with his ability to tell a story with words and gestures. Daniel Deuprey (announcer, Bob Cratchet) had his work cut out for him and he delivered each role with the same enthusiasm and has an uncanny ability to change his voice and demeanor to fit the character. Everyone in the cast deserves credit for a job well done, especially with the constant changing of roles and their ability to adjust with each scene.
Full of music, drama, comedy and some crazy and old-fashioned special affects, this play ranks high in the art of great story telling.
This play is a great holiday treat for the whole family, and for those that remember the days of radio, it is a walk down memory lane. This is perfect for children, not only in a great story telling of one of America’s Christmas classics, but also a piece of history that can be seen and not just heard. So grab the family and have a visit from the ghosts of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future and see “A Christmas Carol” in a whole new light.
“Orson Welles presents…A Christmas Carol Radio Show” is now playing through Dec. 20.
Visit www.lamplighterslamesa.com, call the box office at (619) 303-5092, or e-mail boxoffice@lamplighterslamesa.com.
There is still plenty to come from the Lamplighters’ 2-15 – 16 season with “Send me no Flowers playing from Jan. 15 – Feb. 14, “Mack & Mabel” from March 11 – April 10 and “Chapter Two” from May 13 – June 12.
