After 40 years, appeal of Omaha Community Playhouse's ‘Christmas Carol’ finally hits home

For most of my life, my attitude about “A Christmas Carol” could be summed up in one word:

“Meh.”

I’ve been lukewarm about the Charles Dickens novella turned play, even though it’s an Omaha icon — right up there with the huge tree at the Durham Museum and the holiday lights circling Gene Leahy Mall.

I’ve gazed at that towering fir more than once. I gape at downtown’s glow every weekday in December.

And, of course, I must have seen the Omaha Community Playhouse production about an uber-cranky old man, some weird ghosts and a miraculous change of heart at least one time, enough to cross it off my Christmas bucket list.

Right?

I was born here, and, save for a few years, I’ve lived here forever. I love stage, song and — especially— the season. So I’m not sure why I ignored “Carol” until now.

Maybe the story was too familiar. Maybe I’d heard so much hype from friends and neighbors that I was afraid it could never live up to my expectations. Maybe the holidays were so busy that it was the proverbial One More Thing. Or maybe a little part of me was contrary enough to take perverse pride in saying “never seen that” — my own personal “Bah, humbug!”

I was aware that carloads of folks from Lincoln and Schuyler, Glenwood and Shenandoah, Elkhorn and Florence made the annual pilgrimage to the Playhouse and that it has become a tradition for many families over the last 40 years. I just couldn’t see why.

Geez, I thought, it’s just a play.

Yeah, like “Star Wars” is just a movie.

When I became The World-Herald’s theater writer this summer, I knew it was time to face my own ghosts and make a date with Scrooge.

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On opening night 2015, Ebenezer, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim had me from the moment I stepped into the Playhouse lobby and saw it decked out for the holidays. They had us with the spirited glasses of holiday grog, the shiny tree, the selfie stations and the wide grins on folks finding their seats. And they sealed the deal when the curtain came up.

The Victorian London setting is just what you imagine it would be: people selling wares from wooden carts on cobblestone streets; small, garland-draped shops selling toys and other necessities; women wearing velvet and furs and shopping for last-minute gifts.

Colors are holiday-rich and glowing: deep maroon, forest green, midnight blue, shiny gold. Children in plaid dresses and suits with knickers roam the streets caroling.

The scene is enchanting and inviting — it reminded me of the “Harry Potter” neighborhood I saw last December at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Though this “Carol” is not officially a musical, it wouldn’t be the same without song and dance. An adult ensemble sings favorites like “Greensleeves” and “Coventry Carol” with reverence and lush harmonies. Caroling kids do “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Away in the Manger.” Little Bo Peep and Little Boy Blue do a ballet outside the toy store, and lavishly dressed revelers waltz gracefully at a fancy party as an increasingly anxious Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present observe.

Scrooge, of course, is the anchor, endearingly portrayed by 10-year veteran Jerry Longe. His house and business are gray, dark and depressing in contrast to the brilliance of the other scenes. You feel his real fear as the ghosts confront him with the reality of who he has become and what he may yet be. You cringe at every “Bah, humbug!” and rejoice at his final burst of Christmas delight. You root for his nephew and the Cratchits, who keep extending him love, friendship and hope despite being rebuffed time and time again.

And you know that others all over the theater are doing the same thing.

I think that’s why this “Carol,” created by the late Charles Jones all those years ago, is so important to so many.

It’s not just a play. It’s a chance to share the human condition with hundreds of your friends and neighbors, a chance to be reminded of what really counts: extending a helping hand, sharing your good fortune, laughing (and crying) with people you care about. (Yes, I may have teared up a couple of times.)

These days, we need that more than ever. There’s a lot of ill will out there as we debate guns and refugees, despair about terrorism, wonder about tomorrow. Scrooge, on the other hand, shows us the power of love. There was hope for Scrooge’s redemption, and it helps us see hope for our world.

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