A Christmas Carol

Tonight we were able to do something we've been wanting to do for many, many years:  see the Alliance Theater's production of "A Christmas Carol."

It was worth the wait.  We drove down and had no problems with traffic at all on a Sunday night, and since we pre-paid for our parking, we were able to just drive right up a little early to a nice spot by the elevator, after which we went up to the theater to see the production.

Isn't it funny how we've all seen this story so many times and know exactly how it goes - and yet we keep going back to see it again?  From the beginning, the very moment we walked into the theater, we knew we were in for a wonderful night.

The costuming and performances were just magnificent, and the theater seating just right pretty much no matter where you were seated.  We were able to see everything just fine, and right up close.  It was captivating - Madison really enjoyed it.  She was sitting between Mommy and Daddy, and despite the formality of it all, there was an energy and atmosphere that just sucked you in to this remarkable story.

And the performances were fantastic as well.  The actors all played multiple roles throughout, and it certainly kept everyone busy with costume changes and so forth.  But it was flawless, at least to the untrained eye.

There were some additions to the story, and normally you sort of think these are just embellishments for the fun of it, but these bits with Jacob Marley actually make a bit of sense, and suddenly you see the shift of Ebenezer Scrooge not so dramatically to greed, but rather a slower slide into the miserly person he becomes, this based on a mentorship of Jacob Marley.  We'll just call Jacob Marley the Emperor in this scenario, and of course Scrooge is our Anakin.  This does not go well for Belle.

Belle was played by an actor from the GTA, one Madison has seen a few times before, including a performance of "Sophie and the Pirates."  We didn't know she'd be in this play here in Atlanta, so it was somewhat of a surprise.  Also from Gainesville, the girl who played the role of Tiny Tim was from our church!

After seeing this, of course we want to go and see all the different versions of this classic story there are on film.  There were a lot of kids there tonight, and it was great to see such interest in the theater, which itself looked amazing.  It was recently renovated, and the final product was comfortable, and visually a treat.

And the stage itself was perfect for this story, with such character.  An elevator brought the visiting ghosts to Scrooge up through the middle of the stage, or that is how they'd exit.  There were harnesses that helped Jacob Marley fly to and fro across the stage as Scrooge fearfully looked on.

And Scrooge's performance was spot on.  He's an interesting character, so iconic and tied to Christmas.  His transformation is something we all can't wait to see.  And of course, we love spending Christmas with the Cratchit family as well.

Tiny Tim's performance was just right for this:  "God bless us, every one."  You have to end the play with that, don't you?

In the end, we were all filled with the warmth of the season.  We were talking with the other people in the seating about the play, and about the Christmas season, and how this sort of thing is just what's needed to bring everyone together.  Hopefully just that can happen, where everyone can put aside all the animosity, and focus instead on doing things for one another.

In the end, Scrooge could do it.  And it's so wonderful to see the generosity and giving, and the warm smile upon his face when meeting with the Cratchits.  There's a moment where he meets up with them, and wants to be a part of their family, and it just hits all the right notes of this time of year.

We loved it, obviously, and despite the drive down and so forth, it's certainly worth going to again.  Afterwards, we made it home rather easily, and there we got ready for bed rather quickly.  It was a full day, and this was just the ending part of it.

This morning we were at church, and the service was good, the one we had dedicated to "Queen of Katwe," and the game of chess.  Madison got a kick out of the clip with the little girl so upset that her opponent took her queen.  But all the kids got the main message, that "the little one can become the big one," and that we should "run for our lives," and "never be too quick to tip our king."

With church in the morning - two services - and a visit to the Alliance Theater, we had ourselves a very full day.  But it was a memorable one, and wonderful one.  And it was just the right thing, a very special moment in this Christmas season.