A Christmas Carol Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...After keeping things the same for years, the Goodman Theatre has, these past couple of seasons, been taking what you might call a Six Flags approach to upgrading its long-running, and hitherto scenically tired, production. Just as a theme park adds a new marquee attraction and refurbishes its rides to keep its brand fresh and income buoyant, so the Goodman has been changing parts of the show and then fitting them into the existing landscape."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...Actors may change but not much else does in this sturdy moneymaker. And that's fine since Todd Rosenthal's shifting set is a wonder; Heidi Sue McMath's costumes are colorfully Victorian and Robert Christen's lighting always sets the right mood. A quartet of musicians wanders throughout adding to the holiday spirit."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Yet in director Henry Wishcamper's production, this famous misanthrope is a mincing cream puff. In his first appearance, Larry Yando's brittle, fussy, emotionally wounded Scrooge chokes back tears as he begs his gregarious nephew to leave him to his miserable isolation. A good cry and a hot bath are all he needs-not a triple dose of supernatural intervention. This Scrooge starts five minutes from the finish line, making most of the ensuing two hours feel as dutiful and unsatisfying as a visit to a department-store Santa."

Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended

"...At times, the Goodman’s somewhat streamlined telling of the story gives the impression of a punch-list of narrative necessities, but the key scenes bespeak real creative engagement and free-wheeling imagination. It’s like the gift you ask for and get. It’s still somehow a surprise, still wonderful."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...Todd Rosenthal's new set includes a new one for Marley's house now against the home of Scrooge. We see the door knob on the door, now on the right side of the house, become a foreshadow for the events to come during Scrooge's journey toward redemption. This production, as usual, has loads of heart and it sure gets us into the spirit of the holidays. If you want to regain your family's psirit of the holidays, get to the Goodman Theatre and take Scrooge's journey with him. Your spirit will become renewed."

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended

"...Larry Yando (Scrooge) returns to the iconic holiday role. The impressive Yando plays gruff and gleeful with equal intensity. In his distinct voice, he delivers the stinging barbs. Later, his playfulness enchants as his holiday transformation is complete. Yando is one of thirteen veterans in the 27 member cast. Under the direction of Henry Wishcamper, the Dickens tale unfolds with moments of true tenderness and amusement. When an apologetic Yando arrives unexpectedly at his nephew’s home, the genuine humanity in Anish Jethmalani’s (Fred) greeting made me cry. At the helm of the holiday favorite for the first time, Wishcamper facilitates a spirited pace. It seemed swift and tighter than before. I recollect Ghosts of A-CHRISTMAS-CAROL Past were more pageantry focused. With those theatrical elements missing, real emotion filled the space. This production was a stage full of heart."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...This show is it. This is what Christmas is all about in Chicago. The Grandaddy of all holiday productions, and the show that every other Christmas Carol aspires to be has opened for the 36th year at the Goodman. And it is sensational! It’s eloquent, heartwarming and a feast for the eyes, the ears and the soul. The themes from Dickens’ novella and the lessons he taught aren’t diluted here by raucous musical numbers, Star Trek characters or dancing turkey boys. This is the production that would’ve made Charles Dickens proud."

Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended

"...The Tom Creamer dramatization still holds up handsomely. Dickens' words have lost none of their pungency, surviving the low comedy setting they are forced to fight their way through. It's still a good family show, but the staging leaves much on the table in terms of Dickens's advocacy of the poor and unprotected and the wonderful charting of a man's life from spiritual waste to spiritual bounty. Those exposed to a Goodman staging for the first time will enjoy it the most. Veterans of previous productions may look back with nostalgia at more balanced, moving, and genuinely comic shows."