Have tickets for tonight’s performance of A Christmas Carol?

You may want to come on down a bit early to enjoy a Christmas Present from the Armory bar and some holiday caroling from the Portland Symphonic Choir.

Starting at 6:45 pm on the Armory mezzanine, a contingent from the Symphonic Choir will regale you with gorgeous holiday choral music- just the thing to get you in the mood for this classic tale of generosity and redemption that the Oregonian just called,”a show that reminds us brightly once again that Christmas is a time for giving and for thankfulness, especially in these frightful times.”

Can’t make this evening’s performance? You can enjoy the Portland Symphonic Choir before the December 16th performance of A Christmas Carol as well. Or enjoy one of these other community and school choirs that will grace our lobby for free concerts throughout the holiday season:

St. Mary’s School Marians (Dec. 11th),

Vancouver Madrigal Singers (Dec 14th)

Flash Choir (Dec. 17th, 19th, and 20th).

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Ok, well, not Scrooge, exactly, but Wesley Mann, who plays Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. In addition to being magnificent stage persona, Mr. Mann is an accomplished voice artist (that’s him in our sassy radio ads).

If you’d like to hear more of his dulcet tones and even stay in the holiday spirit, head over to audible.com and listen to him read O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi

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All month long we’ll be hosting Portland area community and school choirs in our lobby for a little pre-show caroling before A Christmas Carol.

To kick things off on a beautifully cultural note, tonight’s performance of A Christmas Carol will feature a pre-show concert from the Kareliean Folk Music Ensemble, a russian traditional folk group that uses instruments including button accordians, lyres, and birch bark flutes and goat horns.

Yes! GOAT HORNS! Check it out:

The group is managed by our Finance Director, Lisa Comer, and according to their website they are:

“a trio from Petrozavodsk, in the Russian Republic of Karelia. Karelia is a region that encompasses both sides of the Finnish/Russian border and the ensemble’s music is an exciting and interesting mix of Finnish, Russian and Karelian cultures. Their music ranges from the ancient epic songs accompanied by Finnish harps to a capella Russian village songs, from old shepherd melodies on wooden flutes and trumpet to Finnish dances on accordions, and from scythe accompaniment to church bells.”

My Russian grandmother would be in heaven. You too, can be in a little Russian heaven, just by joining us at 6:45 pm on the mezzanine this evening. The bars will be open, and tonight is “Pay What You Will Night” for A Christmas Carol if you’d like to stay and get a jump start on your holiday cheer.

Other choirs who will be joining us this month include The Portland Symphonic Choir (Dec 9th and 16th), St. Mary’s School Marians (Dec. 11th), Vancouver Madrigal Singers (Dec 14th), and the Flash Choir (Dec. 17th, 19th, and 20th).

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There have been a heckuva lot of Scrooges through the years, some more entertaining than others.

We’ve tracked down a few of the more unusual Scrooge portrayals for you…

First, the oldest Ebenezer was… A ROCK?

Turns out the word “Ebenezer” comes from Hebrew and is actually two words pronounced together: Even Haazer. It is usually transliterated as a proper name by dropping the definite article (Ha) from the Hebrew word for “place” (Ezer) and putting it together with the Hebrew word for “stone” (Even) to create: “Ebenezer.” The etymological roots of the word, thus defined, should demonstrate that an “Ebenezer” is, literally, a “Stone of Help.” The Biblical Scripture reads as follows:

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.” (1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV)

Who knew?

Okay, now a contest for Sexiest Scrooge ever…

Was it Tori Spelling in the Hallmark Made-for-TV-Movie A Carol Christmas?
Or was it Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol?
Maybe Vanessa Williams in A Diva’s Christmas Carol?

Nope. Its gotta be always a bridesmaid never a daytime Emmy award winner Susan Lucci in another Made-for-TV movie, Ebbie.

Best animated interpretation of Scrooge? Well, Scrooge McDuck is the obvious frontrunner, though why a stingy miser is automatically Scottish in cartoon land is beyond me. He’s got stiff competition though, from the likes of Mr. Magoo, Oscar the Grouch and Cosmo G. Spacely. I won’t count the Simpson’s Mr. Burns, because, well, his whole character is basicly just Scrooge with a nuclear reactor and a strangely homoerotic relationship with his Bob Cratchit (aka Smithers).

But the real winner (for sheer complexity) might be Jim Carrey, whose 2009 release of an animated 3D Motion capture Christmas Carol will feature him playing Scrooge at all ages, plus playing all of his own ghosts. Any Scrooge that takes the trouble to haunt himself wins the prize in my book.

Top stage Scrooges?

Seymour Hicks, who played the role literally thousands of times, and starred in two film versions, one in 1913 and one in 1935.

John Barrymore, who filled in on the radio for his brother Lionel, when he got sick one year. Lionel had made quite the regular gig of playing Scrooge on the airwaves in the ’30s.

Star Trek Captain (and Shakespearean actor) Patrick Stewart, developed and performed a one man stage version of A Christmas Carol in ‘91.

And even nerdier than that, Brent Spiner was the lucky chap to play Scrooge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Can android Scrooges be redeemed if they don’t have souls? And are the ghosts just bugs in his computer program? We’re getting into some sticky metaphysical ground here, so I’ll just leave you with this one last thought.

Mime Scrooge. Yes, even Marcel Marceau took a crack at old Ebenezer. Now that’s a vision that might keep me up at night…

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Who better to take holiday shopping advice from than this formidable lady? Here are a few gift giving suggestions from your friends the Ghosts of Past, Present and Future (and a tip from Marley thrown in for good measure…)

Marley: Skip the fruitcake for your co-workers this year and give them tickets to a show that could inspire them to new acts of generosity (hopefully towards you). Christmas Carol gift certificates start at $30.

Christmas Future: Secure yourself and someone you love many hours of future enjoyment by giving them a FlexPass. FlexPasses grant you 8 admissions to our remaining season shows that you can use in any combination you choose. FlexPasses start under $200.

Christmas Present: For the people on your list who prefer instant gratification, give them a gift that they can enjoy right now- our Sweetness and Spotlight gift box includes tickets to an upcoming show and some decadent truffles from Sweet Masterpieces for just $50.

Christmas Past: Reward the people who’ve been important in your life by gathering them for a holiday party at Portland Center Stage. You can arrange for a pre- or post-show reception, and save up to 30% on tickets when you gather at least 10 loved ones. You do have at least 10 loved ones, right? Otherwise we may have to pay you a visit….

Call us at 503.445.3705 to get the party started.

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