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Only when youre on the subway do you realize Wait, this isnt wine.
Theres a similar delay in the experience ofA Christmas Carolon Broadway.
The already high-sugar-content sentiment of the original dissolves into goo, boneless without its moral armature.
At least, thats what this little Grinch thought.
As in a holiday panto, the casting makes absolutely no sense.
Why is Tony-winner LaChanze one of the ghosts?
Why is Tony-winner Andrea Martin another one?
Its not like they have many lines or any songs these roles are one step removed from cameo appearances.
Yet the Tony-winners-just-drop-by quality makes the whole thing feel sort of merrily community-theaterish, if your community were Broadway.
(Sarah Hunt has a hell of an arm.)
(Theres a general a window at ABC Carpet and Home comes to life feeling about them.)
Warchus makes some goofy choices in the production, but at least its bighearted.
So far, so Dickens.
Theres more of gravy than of the grave about you, Scrooge sniffs.
Put this dude on the front lines!
Events start to show Thornes hand once the marquee visitations begin.
Record scratch:what?
Thats not the old story; Thorne is now cutting sloppily from whole cloth.
There are new scenes with his father, who turns out to be the root cause of Ebenezers damage.
The terrifying skeletal finger that points to Scrooges headstone has evaporated.
No, no, no!
Dickens thought you were supposed to getoveryourself.
Thornes interest in father-son dysfunction already swallowed up theHarry Potterplays, now this voracious theme eatsA Christmas Carol.
I feel ungrateful: They threw us oranges, now Im throwing tomatoes.
Id rather the urchins started seizing the means of production, you know?
As for audience fulfillment?
The story basically stops about twenty minutes before the end and pure entertainment begins audience participation and musical numbers.
Fake snow falls and the people in the orchestra reach up to touch it.
Its foam, so it disperses before you might touch it.
But there are a lot of people happy with froth.
God bless em, every one.
A Christmas Carolis at the Lyceum Theatre through January 5.
