By Kim Hutchison
Staff Reporter:
Dec. 6 marked the opening night of Klaglahachie’s “A Christmas Carol – The Musical” and the lengthy standing ovation at its conclusions hopefully showed the cast and crew that the audience truly enjoyed an evening of impressive entertainment.
Directed by the lovely and talented Lori Kircherner, the amount of hard work and dedication involved in making a project of this magnitude possible was evident from start to finish. From the intricate costumes, creative set, skillful lighting techniques and clear cut sound to the talent of those acting, singing and playing instruments on stage, everyone involved should be proud of their accomplishments and everyone else should find time to see the production on one of its remaining dates.
“It went very well. All the hard work and details showed through. It takes a lot of organization for something like this but it is a familiar story that people want to see again and again and everyone in attendance really seemed to enjoy it,” said Klaglahachie arts director and minister of the Ponoka United Church, Lyn Lamers.
“I am so proud of them. It brings me so much joy watch the effort they put into it and talent they brought to it,” said director Lori Kirchner. “I feel honored as a director to have been able to watch them grow as performers. The final product is so much more than they began with and I feel privileged by that.”
“A Christmas Carol – The Musical” is a musical adaptation of the ever-popular Charles Dickens Novel about an elderly miser named Ebenezer Scrooge who values money above everything and anything else. After years of caring for nothing except for the funds he has acquired, Scrooge has ultimately grown bitter and cold towards others regardless of their circumstance. His employees fear him and town residents aren’t impressed with his “Ba Humbug” attitude towards life, especially during the holiday season. After being visited by the ghost of his former friend who tells him he is doomed to a similar fate if he does not change his ways, he is later visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present and future.
Scrooge awakens the next morning a changed man, and everyone accepts his new, kind demeanor. Everyone on stage did a truly great job. You especially won’t be able to take your eyes off of Scrooge, played by the talented Fred Hiebert.
Tickets for upcoming performances set to take place on Fri. Dec. 15 and Sat. Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. and matinee scheduled for Sun. Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. are now available. Phone the Ponoka United Church at 403-783-4087 to get tickets in advance or purchase them at the door on your way in.