Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” tells the Charles Dickens’ story like never before, with flashy, upbeat dance numbers, a soaring musical score and one heck of a mean old Mr. Scrooge.
The musical version of the popular Madison Square Garden production, “A Christmas Carol” is making its debut at Toby’s Baltimore through Jan. 4.
» Where: Toby’s Dinner Theatre Baltimore, 5625 O’Donnell St., Baltimore
» When: 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday; 10:30 a.m. Thursday and Sunday
» Tickets: $34.50 to $54
» Info: www.tobysdinnertheatre.com
The plot follows the traditional story — the elderly Ebenezer Scrooge is a wealthy old cheapskate whose life is changed for the better when he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Director Daniel L. McDonald’s first solo directing debut, “A Christmas Carol” is just the right amount of tenderness, hilarity and compassion, with a little bit of Broadway glitz thrown in for good measure.
David Bosley-Reynolds is an immensely enjoyable actor to watch. His Cowardly Lion in Toby’s last production of “Wizard of Oz” was almost as good as the original, his Captain Smith in Toby’s “Titanic” was regal and dignified, and his Ebenezer Scrooge is dark, disturbed and chilling. Just his snarl alone is enough to frighten the audience.
His transformation from tempestuous miser to grateful family man is so gripping that it wouldn’t seem silly to assume he could hold the show on his own with no other cast members.
Another standout is Andrew Horn as Marley, Scrooge’s old, dead business partner. Although this is a small part, Horn makes his presence known. His painful wail will make your hair stand on end, but the terrifying quality of this scene is balanced with the especially amusing musical number “Link By Link.” Wrapped in rags and chains, Horn welcomes all his dead colleagues onto the stage, where they rap their chains on the stage to accompany the tempo of the music. It’s the best number in the show.
The 9-year-old John Morrison as Tiny Tim did a commendable job in his debut at Toby’s, playing the young cripple with a sweetness that would make anyone melt for him.
Unfortunately, the show seemed to be plagued with sound problems — actors were often too loud or too soft — but is easily overlooked while enjoying the talent on stage.
