Every year, I make it a tradition to watch “A Christmas Carol” in some form. I’ve seen nearly every type of Scrooge you can imagine — from “Scrooge McDuck” to “The Muppet Christmas Carol” to Jim Carrey’s CGI bah-humbug, and now most recently the Red Barn Theatre’s “Scrooge Macbeth.”
It’s a play that made my college education in English literature all worth it. The play begins in the most Shakespearean fashion: a theater troupe loses half its players to food poisoning and must dig deep to put on a play that will save their financially strapped theater. What follows is a bombastic and original retelling of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, all wrapped in Christmas fashion.
Opening night for the Red Barn cast is always special. But on this opening night, playwright David MacGregor decided to fly down with his wife to the Red Barn to see his words come to life on the Key West stage.
One can only imagine the pressure that might put on the cast to get everything just “right,” but in superb Red Barn fashion, they did just that. From the music direction by Nancy 3 Hoffman to the costume design by Gary Marion, aka Sushi, and the stage design by Jack and Gary McDonald, the production worked incredibly hard to create an intimate yet expressive show for their audience.
MacGregor told the Keys Weekly that he was incredibly proud of what the cast and production team were able to pull off. It was his second time seeing his play in production since it was originally published in 2011.
“The play depends on the full commitment of the actors because of the nature of the script. You can see what a workout it is on stage with the costume changes, and they nailed it. It was phenomenal,” MacGregor said.
“Commitment” is a great word to describe the dedication the cast had to putting on a good show, but once you’re seated inside the intimate Red Barn Theatre and can see the perspiration on the actors’ faces or the blood rushing to their heads from a masterfully executed song or dance, the word elicits an entirely new meaning.
I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to many of the Red Barn’s opening night plays, so I’ve seen many of the same cast members perform in different productions. And in all of them, the commitment of Nina Pilar, Cassidy Timms or Mathias Maloff has always been off the charts. They’ve never not gone all the way when they’re on that stage.
In his debut at the Red Barn, Dominic Palillo set the bar high for himself. He owns the stage and possesses a comfort in front of those curtains that can only come from a dedicated pursuit of the arts.
As with any opening night at the Red Barn, the after-party featured food catered by Hard Rock Cafe, and the audience had the chance to meet and talk with the cast members, production team, and this time, even the playwright.
“Scrooge Macbeth” at the Red Barn is a perfect performance for the holiday season. It runs through Jan. 9 with all shows at 7:30 p.m. There will be no performances on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, but there will be a performance on New Year’s Day. There is no parking at the Red Barn Theatre. More information is at redbarntheatre.com or from the box office at 305-296-9911.
