The season of time-traveling ghosts and curmudgeonly “Bah Humbugs” is almost upon us! We’re not alone in our gingerbread feelings: a wagonload of former Cratchits and Victorian children from the Goodman’s “A Christmas Carol” share what they love best about the magical (and ridiculously popular) show.
If you go
A Christmas Carol
Nov. 19-Dec. 31
Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago
Memorable moments
Those Cratchit family dinner scenes, Secret Santas and dressing room decorating contests were fond memories, but sometimes the younger castmates took the fun way offstage.
“In between shows, we went to Macy’s and tried out all of the massage chairs that were on display,” John Babbo (Tiny Tim in 2009) told me.
Occasionally, hilarity occurred when things didn’t quite work, like when the Ghost of Christmas Future got stuck and didn’t come all the way down. According to William Burke (Young Scrooge in 2014), “it was in a few scenes it wasn’t supposed to be in.”
Audience reactions
So what do audiences love best? Those ghosts, the fun party scenes and Scrooge’s Christmas morning transformation top the list. The Tiny Tim pride, however, is fierce with all who’ve donned the tiny cap: “God bless us, everyone” is the refrain they hope the audience holds all season long.
