It’s always challenging to review a production after multiple viewings and still remain objective about it. It’s even more difficult when said production features some of the same cast members each time, but being a fan of Dallas’ Brierley Resident Acting Company, it is always a treat for me to see how they re-interpret within their annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with both returning and new actors. In the case of Ebenezer Scrooge portrayer Alex Organ (who practically stole the show last year as Scrooge’s business partner, Jacob Marley), I was curious to see what other surprises would be in store this year at the Wyly Theatre Center.
The story that we all know and love is here, as Scrooge runs a factory in London with an iron fist and an icy heart with no regard whatsoever for the welfare of his employees or the true meaning of the Christmas season. Seven years have come and gone since Marley died on that very night, and he has used his jaded and distant feelings to cut off his family in favor of profit. As he tries to go to bed that night, the ghost of Marley visits him to warn of eternal damnation if he does not change his ways and embrace all of the gifts he has. Following this exchange, Scrooge is visited by spirits of Christmases past, present, and to come to show him the error of his ways and what will become of him and those around him if he does not change them.
Right off the bat, Organ shows why he is pretty much a chameleon of talent by being able to take any role and make it work beautifully. Other recurring cast members like Ace Anderson, Tiana Kaye Blair, Jahi Kearse, Brian Mathis, Deanna Ott, and Cara Serber continue to showcase their extraordinary talent, while additions like Tiffany Solano DeSena, Sarah Gay, Parker Gray, Kathryn Taylor Rose, and Amber Rossi are also impressive. “A Christmas Carol” at the Wyly Theatre Center has become a tradition that I am always happy to return to, and this year is no exception. Make it a tradition of your own because it not only kicks off the holiday season brilliantly but also helps raise money for the North Texas Food Bank, which helps spread the cheer and spirit of giving by supplying meals for the needy beyond the reaches of the stage.