Classic spin on a classic tale

"A Christmas Carol" coming to Ted Paul Theatre

By Amanda Dyslin

We’ve seen Bill Murray in a famously dark and adult movie adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” called “Scrooged.” And we’ve seen the opposite end of the spectrum: a Disney cartoon version, called “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” starring Scrooge McDuck.

What we haven’t seen much of is an adaptation that aims to stay true to Charles Dickens’ original novella with a script made up of passages taken directly from the book. Paul Hustoles of Minnesota State University Theatre & Dance decided years ago to remedy that situation.

“I had seen so many ‘Christmas Carols,’ and especially recently, I had seen so many bizarre adaptations,” Hustoles said of the play that follows the curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by three ghosts who teach him the meaning of life. “I hated them all. I just hated them.”

After going back and reading Dickens’ original text, he knew what he had to do.

“I thought, ‘My gosh, it’s just sitting there — the play is just sitting there,’” he said.

Hustoles wrote the entire script pretty much verbatim from the book. All the scenes from the book are included in the play, which opens Thursday in Ted Paul Theatre.

Although, he did make a couple of additions, including changing the single voice of the narrator into three, which he cast as carolers. Hustoles also traced back the roots of many traditional Christmas carols, many of which he learned would have been sung during Dickens’ time.

“He would literally have heard them outside his window when he was writing this book,” he said, which led him to include dozens of carols in the play. “We insert them very cleverly depending on what topic’s at hand.”

Hustoles first presented his adaptation in 2002. Normally, the department has a rule of waiting at least 10 years before putting on the same production again. But given the economy, the department wanted to present more feel-good shows that the public wants to see, he said. Also, with a classic like “A Christmas Carol,” many people don’t mind revisiting it around the holidays year after year.

“I’m very excited about it,” he said. “A lot of people thought it was authentic and said it seems like the ‘real’ ‘Christmas Carol.’”

Many of the elements of the 2002 presentation will remain: the script, for the most part, the costuming and the set. Although he won’t divulge the secret, the audience will be wowed once again by a technique the scene department is using to make furniture and sets appear to magically float away as scenes change.

“The effect is miraculous,” he said. “The sets move in a dream-like fashion.”

The biggest change, obviously, is the cast. So to Hustoles, the fresh faces and voices have brought new life to the play. One of those fresh faces is that of Royal Habrat, who plays Tiny Tim.

At just 5 years old, he was discovered by an MSU Theatre scout while at an audition for a Merely Players community theater production. Royal’s mom, Amy Habrat, said everyone else in the Habrat family has been involved in various theatrical productions, and Royal is ready for his turn.

Royal is certainly excited about his debut, he said. He’s done his research, having seen the Muppets version of “A Christmas Carol.” He even rattled off one of his lines.

“God bless us, everyone,” he said.

But he also wanted to impart that his interests are varied.

“I lost a tooth,” he said. “And we got a new dog.”

Amy is confident Royal will do well. She just hopes a boy with so many interests will be able to manage all of those afternoons and nights on stage.

Royal’s not worried. He’s got this, he said, before explaining the nuances of the production.

“It’s about the same thing (as the Muppets version). But it’s not gonna be Muppets. It’s going to be real persons,” he said. “This is my first time. (But) it’s gonna be pretty easy.”