Many hands have kept NSMT’s ‘Christmas Carol’ singing

By Rich Fahey

BEVERLY – Jon Kimbell recalls there was a lot riding on that first performance of “A Christmas Carol” at the North Shore Music Theatre on Dec. 7, 1989.

“The entire staff of NSMT was involved in creating our ‘Carol’ all the way from writing it, building it and marketing it to our audience,” he said.  “It was the production that anchored our first year-round season and our collaboration literally helped us all become a unified company of artists, craftspeople and administrative staff who were able to grow from a summer operation to a year-round arts organization that became one of the most successful theaters in the country.”

Kimbell, who spent 25 years at the theater as producing artistic director, planned to attend the official opening of the 35^th anniversary production of NSMT’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic,  set for Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

And while the show itself is celebrating, two of its stars – David Coffee, who will plays Ebenezer Scrooge for the 30^th time, and Cheryl McMahon, who will perform the role of  Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge’s housekeeper, for the 30^th time, as well as playing Mrs. Fezziwig for the 26^th time.  

NMST Marketing Director Mike Ceceri is marking the 150^th main stage production – including 23 productions of “Carol” — he has worked on since joining the theater in 1999, and he has been instrumental in chronicling the history of the adaptation.

A few years back he took on a labor of love with the Christmas Carol Family Project, going back to 1989 and tracking the show by actor, by role, by musician, by instrument, by creative team member, by creative position, and by song!

He has compiled an interesting set of facts and figures about the show’s 35-year history.

• An estimated 1.25 million people have seen the show to date. Ceceri based his estimate on actual figures and estimates from years he did not have access to the actual figures, using numbers from years the theater had the same configuration.
• This is actually the 33^rd production of the adaptation. In 2008 the decision was made to replace the show; in 2009 the theater was closed; and in 2020 the pandemic cancelled the run.
• To date the show has employed 469 actors; 28 have been in the show more than five times.  Of those, seven have been in it 10-15 times and two have been in the show 30 times.
• To datethe show has employed 52 musicians;  eight musicians have performed  the show for more than 10 years. Of those, three have been in the show more than 20 times and Jay Daly has played trumpet in the show’s orchestra 31 times.
• There have been 55 creative team members (Directors/Choreographers/ musical directors and other designers, etc.).
• The show currently features 20 traditional Carols (eight of which have been performed in every production since 1989), but thru the years 14 other carols have been put in and removed.

Several of those people heavily involved in the production through the years were asked the same question: Why has the show lasted for 35 years, with several generations now having experienced the sadness and then the joy of Scrooge’s magical transformation.

They were eager to weigh in, starting with Kimbell.“First of all, we owe Charles Dickens the most credit.,”said Kimbell. “Almost every word of our script is taken directly from Dickens’ nvella. His masterpiece simply touches the heart and connectswith our deep desire to share our lives with others.”

He also credited the classic music from the 19th century that has stood the test of time and defines the holiday season, helping to tell the story, and the orchestra that has been   “superb and an integral part of the production.

“We have been blessed with our cast members, most especially David Coffee and Cheryl McMahon, who for 30 years have brought humor, love and absolute brilliance to their characters,” he said. “Dickens’ story can be quite bleak and finding the humor in the characters is key to our success. So many of our cast members have returned year after year, creating a ‘family’ for the production and strengthening a connection with the audience that just keeps growing.”

Kimbell also credited the intimacy of the theater’s in-the-round configuration for enhancing the audience’s experience and current NSMT Artistic Director’s Kevin P. Hill’s “brilliant direction and annual innovations that have kept the production fresh, exciting and always surprising.”

It was Kimbell who recognized David Coffee’s comedic talents and decided that the affable Texan – then only 35 – could inhabit the role. The actor, who has appeared in 64 NSMT productions in all, struck a chord with audiences almost immediately. Decades later, his entrance as Scrooge sparks instant applause and his

“victory lap”  — his trip around the stage at the end of each performance to greet friends old and new – has become a treasured tradition.

“Jon Kimbell said he liked that I could find comedic moments to contrast the character’s darker side,” Coffee said.  “And I believe my transformation is believable and truly heartfelt. The audience accepts that and looks forward to going on the journey with me, whether it’s their first or 30th time.”

“I would say that Dickens’ story strikes both readers and audience members with its message of humanity,” said Marblehead resident Cheryl McMahon. “I think we all recognize in ourselves the tendency to be focused on the tangible: money, material success, ambition.

“Through Scrooge’s spiritual awakening, we are jostled and confronted with the idea of opening our eyes to our own responsibility in reaching out to others.

She also credited a well-crafted script, the cast, the orchestra and the musical numbers, beautifully created costumes, and every technical element possible.

And while Kimbell and his 1989 staff gave birth to the adaptation, current NSMT owner Bill Hanney made bringing back Coffee and “Carol” one of his first decisions after he reopened the theater in 2010.

Current NSMT Artistic Director Kevin P. Hill has taken the baton from Kimbell and is directing “Carol” for the 10^th time. 

He decided early on that “The narrative is of utmost importance. My modifications and refinements throughout the years have consistently aimed to enrich the storytelling experience.

“Theatre is advancing swiftly, and I hold the view that it is essential to adapt to contemporary trends; however, it is crucial to avoid introducing elements that detract from the essence of the production.”

And why, oh why, do so many people come back year after year? Speaking personally, I have seen and reviewed every production since December, 1993. Through the years, I have watched Coffee and McMahon tweak their scenes together until they became pure comic gold, a bit funnier, more poignant and more effective with each passing season. The music, the pageantry and the story itself  always put me in good cheer when leaving the theater.

Indeed, one area that everyone who has seen the show points to is the production values – the special effects, costumes, sets, decorations, the exquisite lighting and sound designs, and the music – ah, the music, a mix of popular and period music with some original compositions by Alby Potts and James Woodland from Kimbell’s 1989 staff.

Then there is the “musical ghost story” side of the piece, when Marley’s Ghost rattles his chains and flies through the air, or the forbidding Ghost of Christmas Future escorts Scrooge through the graveyard, a time young children can be seen scurrying back to parents for protection.

“Our NSMT audiences often return year after year, and with their children and grandchildren, which signifies, to me, that they want to keep the story’s message present and alive for generations to come,” said McMahon.

McMahon said one of her greatest joys is to meet an adult audience member who lets me know that they saw the show in second grade, at a school performance, and they are now bringing their own young kids to the show.

“The longevity of this show certainly is a true example of the power of theatre,” she said.

Coffee said the adaptation has lasted 35 years because “it has something for everyone, yet remains true to the heart of the story. “

Hill has spoken to many theater-goers through the years on why they return.

“I believe that individuals return for a variety of reasons,” he said. “Some come back to see David each year, others to witness Marley, and for some, like myself, it evokes the spirit of the holiday season.”

An NSMT colleague called Hill’s attention to a particularly effective passage in the text.  Hill said for this person the holiday season did not truly begin until he heard  Fred’s speech to Scrooge. The specific line delivered by Fred is: “But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely…”

Kimbell said the adaptation is his legacy “for 25 years of making art at this extraordinary theater. The staff’s dedication, enthusiasm and talent was essential to the success of the first production and that dedication has continued throughout the last 35 years. “