Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Musical, Play
Adaptation by Steve Wargo
Musical Arrangements by Dianne Adams McDowell
Directed by Steven Maler
Musical Direction by Dan Rodriguez
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
Theater District, Boston
December 6-23, 2025

With Will Lyman (Scrooge), Stephen Caliskan (Peter Cratchit), Neal Ferreira (Fezziwig), David Jiles, Jr. (Topper, Old Joe), Laura McHugh (Mrs. Fezziwig), Kathryn McKellar (Christmas Past), John Pagliarulo (Traveling Player), Peter DiMaggio (Young Scrooge), Tamara Ryan (Mrs. Cratchit), Carolyn Saxon (Christmas Present), Kayla Shimizu (Elizabeth), Damon Singletary (Marley, Christmas Yet To Come), Kathy St. George (Charwoman), Robert St. Laurence (Bob Cratchit), Lily Segal Steven (Martha, Belle), Hayley Travers (Catherine, Mrs. Dilber), Jared Troilo (Fred), Gillian Weatherford (Traveling Player), Cora L. Hertz (Fan, Belinda, Want), Paul Jagger Karger (Boy Scrooge, Tim Cratchit), Eviva Rose (Boy, Ignorance, Turkey Boy)

Ebenezer Scrooge (Will Lyman) is a solitary old man who pinches pennies, even with his devoted employee Bob Crachit (Robert St. Laurence) who is a very decent fellow and is struggling to support his family. To boot, Crachit has a young son, Tim (Paul Jagger Karger), who has vulnerable health and might die if not provided for more amply. As well, Scrooge’s nephew Fred (Jared Troilo) hovers on the edge of Scrooge’s life, but Scrooge does not pay him much attention and even refuses an invitation to Christmas dinner at Fred’s house.

However, at Christmas, Scrooge gets a few different visitations, beginning with the ghost of his old partner Marley (Damon Singletary), who leads the pack of ghosts to read Scrooge the riot act. The Ghost of Christmas Past basically gives Scrooge some quick psychoanalysis, showing how the young Scrooge (Peter DiMaggio) screwed up his own chances for happiness with, among other things, Belle (Lily Segal Steven), who sees, early on, how attached to money Scrooge is becoming and leaves him as a result. The Ghost of Christmas Present appears to enable Scrooge to get a closer look at the families of Bob Crachit and nephew Fred, and the effects of his miserliness upon them. And The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come reveals to Scrooge basically how totally unloved he will have been at the end of his life if he does not mend his ways.

In a moment of magic therapeutic transformation, Scrooge is shocked out of his lifelong habits and becomes a generous soul, offering a substantial pay increase to Crachit, donating significantly to charity, and becoming a loving uncle to Fred.

This nicely sung and staged version of the Dickens Christmas classic has a lot to say for it.

Will Lyman, the highly respected long-time member of the Boston acting theatre community, offers a beautifully rendered version of Scrooge. It’s not a caricature, with grumpy old Scrooge harrumphing and screwing up his face, though there are indeed some Bah, humbugs, but a deeper, more nuanced, portrayal of an older man deeply at odds with himself. Lyman, who has played many leading roles around town – notably as Lear in the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company 2015 production of King Lear on the Boston Common – offers a grandeur to his roles. In this case, that lurking sense of integrity informs from within the corrupted external self that besets Scrooge, which makes the miraculous transformation believable.

Other notable Boston stage play and musical actors happily populate this robust production, including Jared Troilo and Kathy St. George (Church Warden, Charwoman), and any number of others, including Peter DiMaggio, who recently had a substantial role as musician and actor in Lizard Boy at the Speakeasy Stage. They, and the cast as a whole, are exuberant and full of spirit. The boy who played Tiny Tim in the performance I saw, Paul Jagger Karger, is adorably charming.

This production is energetic and full of good Christmas musical entertainment, with carols sewn in throughout. The direction by Steven Maler provides adept and lively acting all around, and the musical direction and solo piano by Dan Rodriguez is top notch. This is a reprise of a production which Commonwealth Shakespeare had done last year, but reportedly enhanced and embellished. This is certainly a good time, there are some great choral moments throughout, and, for many in attendance, full of inspiration for breaking into song.

– BADMan (aka Charles Munitz)