The show goes on, virtually

LOCAL THEATER

When Hal Landon Jr. hung up his Ebenezer Scrooge hat and scarf last December, saying farewell to the character he played for 40 years on the South Coast Repertory stage, it was the end of an era. The theater announced the show would go on in 2020, though with a different actor portaying the famous curmudgeon.

But no one could have predicted a global pandemic that would force theaters across the country to close their doors for eight months—and counting.

Traditions find a way to survive, however, and the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” refuses to cower in the face of the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Starting Nov. 28, two local theaters will stream the world premiere live-capture performance of Jefferson Mays’ one-man “A Christmas Carol” as part of a joint project between producer Hunter Arnold’s TBD Pictures, La Jolla Playhouse and On the Stage. A portion of ticket sales will benefit South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa and International City Theatre in Long Beach, as well as La Jolla Playhouse, LA’s Geffen Playhouse and others across the country that have lost revune during the pandemic.

In the Michael Arden-directed production, Mays plays more than 50 roles, from Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past to Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. “‘A Christmas Carol’ was my first experience of living theater,” Mays says. “My mother and father would read it out loud every year. My father would tell the story with clarity and humanity, while my mother, eyes ablaze, would transform into the characters. . . . Both, in their ways, created magic. And now here we are, aspiring to bring this magic to people across the country during this challenging time.”

The online edition conceived by Arden and scenic designer Dane Laffrey is based on the work adapted by Arden, Mays and Mays’ wife, Susan Lyons, that premiered at the Geffen Playhouse in 2018.

“In a time when theaters and arts workers across the country are in great need, bringing a story that celebrates the power of creativity, community and our shared humanity is humbling,” says Arden, who began his theater career as a 10-year-old, playing Tiny Tim in a community production of “A Christmas Carol.”

Virtual tickets for the performance filmed at New York’s United Palace cost $50 (plus fees) and include unlimited viewings through Video on Demand until Jan. 3, 2021.

To benefit South Coast Repertory, visit https://www.scr.org. And to support International City Theatre, go to https://www. InternationalCityTheatre.org.