Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present a radio show performance of A Christmas Carol at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10-Sunday, Dec. 13.
Charles Dickens' infamous tale comes to life in a new way in this virtual production, complete with musical interludes. The story is the same: three ghosts take Ebenezer Scrooge on a thrilling journey to teach him the true meaning of Christmas, before it is too late.
NMU theatre student Jacob Laitinen plays the leading role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
“I think that Scrooge and I are pretty different in most ways, but I have always liked the fact that he sees the error of his ways and makes a concerted effort to change for the better,” said Laitinen. “This is something I think most people can relate to because we all make mistakes and can be so rooted in our own world that it can be hard to see others' perspectives. It doesn't always take a trio of ghosts to make this kind of realization, but it certainly helps.”
The production will be presented as a recorded voiceover play and will be made available digitally. It will include visual representations with images.
“We have been holding regular Zoom readings of the play and that has been great,” said Director Paul Truckey, a professor in the NMU Theatre and Dance department. “It's very different giving voice acting notes, but it's still all about moments and beats, just like in a live performance.”
Laitinen said that the experience of preparing for the show has been different from preparing for a live performance.
“The basics are still the same: Learn your lines, do the work and make choices,” said Laitinen. “But, knowing that you won't be acting across from someone in person means you have to change the way you interpret and react to the lines. Unlike live staged productions, you don't have the luxury of feeding off the energy of the audience and you don't have a set to immerse yourself in the show's world, so you must build the picture in your head much more vividly.
“It helps that the other actors in the show give me a lot to work with in terms of the mental image. This is, I imagine, what voice actors must do constantly which gives me even more respect for this form of performance. This has been a great learning experience for me because voice acting is one of the avenues I hope to explore after graduation.”
Truckey adapted the script from the original old English language version.
“It's proven to be a terrific challenge for the actors, learning to use the old text, keeping it smooth, fluid and understandable,” said Truckey. “Audiences can look forward to the traditional tale of a Christmas Carol. It's one of the most uplifting holiday stories.”
Tickets are $17 for the general public, $12 for NMU employees, seniors and military and $5 for NMU students. Tickets are available online at tickets.nmu.edu, via email at tickets@nmu.edu, over the phone at 906-227-1032 or at the Berry Events Ticket Office from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only. A link to the virtual performance will be emailed to ticket holders before their chosen date.