Christmas Carol must be doing something right if it can get to jaded critic
As I watched Gary Neal Johnson once again inhabit the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, the word amazing popped into my head. Johnson is a skilled actor whose work I usually view approvingly, often enthusiastically. But when I think of him coming out every night to play Scrooge in Kansas City Repertory Theatre s annual production of A Christmas Carol, I can only imagine the inner resources he draws on to fully commit to a role he has played for eight seasons.
He could phone it in if he wanted to, but he never does. He brings so much subtlety, nuance and sly humor to Scrooge not to mention striking a deft balance between emotional explosions and delicate understatement that it s as if he just stepped into the iconic role. His ability to do that year after year and night after night is, indeed, amazing. The 2007 edition of the warhorse, again smartly directed by Linda Ade Brand, brings more humor to the piece than I recall in previous years.
It appears that Johnson and his colleagues have been given license to keep the material fresh with some well-placed ad-libs. This production is replete with moments, rehearsed or not, that seem spontaneous. Johnson is not alone in his excellence. Michael Linsley Rapport, who has played Mr. Fezziwig for most of his 19 years with the show, also demonstrates an exceptional ability to make the holiday-loving Fezziwig seem new again. The same goes for Peggy Friesen as Mrs. Fezziwig.