[...] Center Stage will be putting on A Christmas Carol from Nov. 24 – Dec. 27th in the beautiful Gerding Theatre at the Armory, located at 128 NW [...]

I saw A Christmas Carol last year and enjoyed the theatre, the acting and sets. There is one trend that I have noticed lately in theatre productions and that is miking the actors. It really ruins the intimacy of the theatre and especially the feel for a time-oriented Dickens’ production. It removes the audience from the stage instead of inviting them into the story. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but that intimacy has always been my draw to stage theatre.

[...] Center Stage will be putting on A Christmas Carol from Nov. 24 – Dec. 27th in the beautiful Gerding Theatre at the Armory, located at 128 NW [...]

Last year was our first time seeing this production at PCS. It was so amazing that we booked our tickets for front row center as soon as they became available.
I must say that this year we were very disappointed. The production lacked the magic, the power, and the spirit (pardon the pun) that IS A Christmas Carol. The actor playing Scrooge said his lines so fast that at times we had no idea what he was saying. The stage blocking was a jumbled mess. Actors from different scenes were intermixed at times, and it was nearly impossible to keep things separated. For a production that hopes to draw a younger crowd, this director made it nearly impossible for our 8 and 9 year old to stay focused on the story. I suggest that the Ms. Riordan sit front row center where we were and try to view everything that is taking place on stage. My guess is she will find it nearly impossible, especially when the Ghost of Christmas Present was on stage. Speaking of the Ghost of Christmas Present, last year she stole the show. The direction given her this year left her character very two dimensional and us very disappointed. A good director should have realized the talent she had in this particular actor and given her wings to fly. The Ghost of Christmas yet to come was an enigma and just did not work.
To the credit of most of the actors, they did their best with the direction given them by Ms. Riordan. We recognized many from last year, but most of the “spark” was gone from their performances.
My bottom line for this years production is, it was just not fun. The director was too focused on the darker side of the tale.
I can only hope that Cliff Fannin BAker is asked back to direct next years production.

We saw this production last year and it was really wonderful. Unfortunately, this year it was a dud. The acting was wonderful, and the children were excellent but the show seemed rushed and anti-climatic–the ghost of Christmas Past…a dude in a hat???? We were literally getting a run down list wrap up ending. It was huge let down after the fantastic show we saw last year–too bad too since we took a bunch of people with us since we enjoyed ourselves so much last year.

Also, since when is this become an 85 min show with no intermission?

My family (three generations worth) went last weekend. I probably liked last year’s production just a bit better, but several in our party who had been there last year liked this one better. I felt the pacing was maybe a little rushed, but for the younger kids it was great. The effects are particularly good, and the set was top notch. All of the acting performances were excellent, and I realized with this production how vital it is to have Cratchit and Fred balance the Scrooge character. If you have had the misfortune to see a performance where the actors playing those roles aren’t strong, you realize how important they are. Anyhow, both, in this production, are more than capable of showing us (and Scrooge) what Scrooge must become to save his soul. Well done!
Tomorrow, I brave the potentially icy Columbia River Gorge in a yellow school bus to bring 30+ students to the play. Wish me luck!

I saw this production on Christmas eve with my children (11 & 13), boyfriend, and grandparents and we all LOVED it. I did not see it last year so I cannot speak in comparison to last year as many have here. But, we thoroughly enjoyed the traditional nature of it, thought Scrooge was fantastic, and LOVED the stagecrafting. Very well done! We might just have a new Christmas Eve tradition.