Ebenezer – A Christmas Carol

By Jon Alden

Everything Westport

December 10, 2007

 

This musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, was produced by Frank P. Trimble and directed by Tiverton’s Gloria Crist. “I have known Frank since 1985,’ Ms. Crist said, “when we were both cast in a production of A Chorus Line. He currently has two other productions of Ebenezer running, and at least one version runs every December since the show premiered in 1996. He is a brilliant writer/lyrist and has three other plays/musicals that are just as witty.”

 

More than 50 performers, dressed in characteristic costume for the most part, gave a rich and believable performance that hit every high note, and didn’t miss a beat! It was an eye-riveting audio-visual experience, as much for the music as the comedy; sometimes resembling classic Dickens, sometimes Arthur Freed, and always with a twist of Gloria Crist thrown in for good measure. “The overall groove of the show is mine, from a director’s point of view, with Frank's blessing,” Ms. Crist said. “I have not changed any of the story line or content.......I guess you could say I connect his dots with my own color ink!”

 

Barbara Donahue’s daughter, Izabelle, played Ebenezer’s maid.  “I have known Gloria since she came to Tiverton,” Barbara said. “Her one goal has always been to bring great theatre here and she is on her way. I have watched her work, against many odds, but nothing has ever stopped her. She has total passion, commitment and dedication to bringing as many talented people together, always towards building great theatre for our community.”

 

Over 800 people attended five performances of Ebenezer at the Tiverton High School from Thursday Night to Sunday afternoon, starting on December 6th. Books, lyrics, and music were by Frank P. Trimble; vocal arrangements by Kristin Graf; and orchestration, soundtrack instrumentation by Rodney Ingle. Special choreography was provided by Dawn Marcoux.

 

“This Ebenezer has elements of old and new,” Barbara said. “One of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Present played by Bobby Sylvia, brings an ‘Old Gangster Broadway’ style, and zips it up with his Santa dancing girls.”

 

  

 

“Ebenezer being presented at Tiverton High School is a crowning achievement for her (Gloria) and for her crew in so many ways,” Barbara said. “This huge cast of 50 is wildly diverse in age, talent range and it also draws actors from all over our state (some of the actors come from Westport). Theatre itself is a connecting experience but this goes beyond just “being in a play”. Ebenezer is a “community life” connector because it brought so many different people on stage and off together. For a director to organize a cast of so many kids, especially during an almost three hour show is a huge challenge in itself, but she does that gracefully and also inspires all the many adults – amazing,” Ms. Donahue, a performer herself, enthused.  

 

This third annual production of Ebenezer was directed and choreographed by Gloria Crist, founder of Theater Direct.

 

"This is the first time Tiverton has ever had a production this size involving so many people, children and adults, from so many communities," Ms. Crist said. "In this production alone I have cast and crew members, 65 total, from Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport, Fall River, Portsmouth, Middletown, Jamestown and Providence. Quite a feat for a town that does not even have a community center."

 

The play featured 16 songs, including gospel, country, rock and jazz songs and traditional Christmas carols. The ghost of Jacob Marley belts out a great rendition of ‘Chains!’, and encourages the tortured waifs and spirits to haunt and terrorize poor Scrooge. Middletown resident David Jones said he comes back year after year to play Jacob Marley because of the friends he has made in the group. "Each year it gets bigger and bigger," he said. "And you really do become a family. It's especially neat to watch the children grow up on stage and take on new roles as they mature."

 

 

Ebenezer was a rousing success and terribly entertaining, and shame on those who missed it! Ebenezer flirted with unexpected comical twists, produced exuberant song and dance routines, and offered great dialogue that absolutely kept the audience’s attention throughout. And yes, Scrooge had an awakening!

Hats off to Gloria Crist, the entire cast and crew, and Frank Trimble for an exciting night of theater in Tiverton.

 

 

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