Stage Review - Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Christmas Show (Key City Public Theatre)
Stage Review - Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Christmas Show
Presented By: Key City Public Theatre - Port Townsend, WA
Show Run: November 28 - December 28, 2025
Date Reviewed: Friday, December 5, 2025
Run Time: 90 Minutes (no intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
When I walked out of Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Christmas Show at Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend this past Friday, the first thing I thought was, “Boy, I can’t wait to write this review.” Especially this time of year, I love writing about holiday productions that lift the spirit, because theatre has a unique way of offering light when the world feels especially dark. When a show is well-made, well-acted, and full of the joyful energy audiences crave, it makes the process even more rewarding. That’s exactly what Key City’s production gives us: a thoroughly entertaining escape, delivered with craft, heart, and a clear affection for the community it serves.
Part of the delight comes from the piece itself. Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Christmas Show, written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, and here with additional content by David H. Schroeder, was originally conceived as a playful, small-cast reimagining of A Christmas Carol—a vaudevillian, fourth-wall-breaking, fast-shifting, laugh-forward version that intentionally invites each producing company to make it their own. Its structure encourages local jokes, meta-theatrical winks, and sponsor humor, and KCPT fully embraces that freedom. The result is a version of the classic that feels custom-built for Port Townsend.
And yet, when I sat down to write about it, I found myself staring at a blank screen. My scribbled notes were few—not because there was nothing to say, but because the show was simply too enjoyable to look away from. This production doesn’t treat Scrooge’s story with solemnity; instead, it leans into the playfulness baked into the script. It keeps the bones of Dickens’ tale but resets the action into a Port Townsend “before there was ever a theatre,” a running gag used freely and creatively throughout the evening. It’s spirited, silly, and completely committed to giving audiences a good time—exactly what a holiday show should be.
I’m not sure what a show this season would even look like at Key City without the performances of Krista Curry and her husband Erik Gratton, who helped kick off the season with the emotionally contrasting productions of Dear Jack, Dear Louise and Stephen King’s Misery. Here, though, both bring an entirely different sense of play. Krista is wonderfully sharp, leaning fully into the script’s mispronunciations and verbal absurdity with great comedic timing. Her running gag as Prudence—who seems physically incapable of pronouncing anything correctly—is handled with precision, escalating the humor each time she encounters a proper noun. What makes it work even better is how the rest of the cast plays off her delivery, reacting with a mixture of disbelief, patience, and well-timed exasperation that amplifies the joke instead of letting it become repetitive. Erik is a hilarious Cratchit (among several other roles), embracing physical comedy and character exaggeration with ease. Maggie Jo Chambers is equally strong—especially when paired with Krista as the collectors asking Scrooge for a donation. Their timing together is crisp, funny, and delightfully in sync. And Brendan Chambers delivers warmth and humor throughout, including a standout portrayal of Tiny Tim through a creatively constructed puppet, and the fact that this is perhaps the first time I’ve ever seen him onstage without a beard is a transformation only adds to the charm of his performance.
My favorite aspect of this ensemble is how completely they lean into the informality of the piece. Sponsor plugs become part of the comedy. Offhand digs at Port Townsend—like the sudden addition of charging for parking in front of the Qimper Mercantile—land beautifully. Even a throwaway Spirit Airlines joke earns a big laugh. The actors embrace the looseness and self-awareness of the show, and these micro-moments of improvisation and cheekiness are where the production finds some of its richest humor.
Paul Kerian’s Scrooge thrives in this environment. His version of Scrooge is more intellectually sealed-off than physically imposing, and he brings a surprising comedic aptitude to the role. His one-liners are crisp, his timing deliberate, and he breaks the fourth wall with a precision that enhances the joke without ever derailing the story. His performance makes Scrooge’s evolution feel not only believable, but rooted in the very theatricality the production celebrates.
The production’s playful style is supported in clever ways by its technical elements. Actors pantomime gusts of wind or a door being blown open with exaggerated flair, and a Foley table—managed with imagination and precision—adds bells, chains, and wind effects that amplify the humor. Sound Designers Bry Kifolo and David H. Schroeder contribute significantly here, crafting audio moments that elevate the comedy while also sharpening the atmosphere. Marley’s echoing voice is a particularly nice touch: just eerie enough to honor the ghost story underneath the comedy, then quickly folded back into the show’s comedic rhythm, and Erik’s turn as Scrooge’s former partner is exceptionally laugh-worthy.
Projections of old black-and-white photographs of Port Townsend, conceived by Projection Designer and Scenic Artist Michelle Cesmat, help build the world with humor and nostalgia, serving as both setting and punchline. The scenic environment, shaped by Michelle and Denise Winter, is intentionally simple and flexible—an open playground for the actors’ movement, character shifts, and comedic invention. Costume Designer Corinne Adams supports the rapid transitions with clean, readable looks that help the audience keep pace with the show’s many characters. There’s a spirit of fun, delivered with a sort of loose precision that Denise, as director, really brings out in the design, and the actors’ performances here that make this show so wonderful.
The Christmas Yet to Come sequence is a particularly striking example of how these elements come together. Brendan and Bry, here in their roles as lighting designers, shift the tone into something mysterious and moody, contrasting sharply with the brightness and chaos of the earlier scenes. The moment feels unexpectedly cinematic for a production that spends much of its time winking at itself, and that contrast makes it pop.
And here’s where this production adds something truly special: Scrooge’s redemption isn’t just about becoming a kinder man. As a result of his evening with the spirits—and the silliness, chaos, and unexpected wisdom they bring—he becomes convinced that Port Townsend needs a place where people can gather, tell stories, and share the joys of the season. In other words, the idea of a theatre in Port Townsend is born from Scrooge’s transformation. It’s a playful reimagining of Dickens’ moral, but one perfectly suited to KCPT and its community. The message becomes not only about generosity, but about the value of having a space where art and togetherness can thrive.
It’s rare, especially during a season that can overwhelm as easily as it can uplift, to find a production that so genuinely raises the collective spirit of the theatre-going public. Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Christmas Show doesn’t just offer escape; it offers joy. It reminds us why we gather in theatres in the first place: to laugh together, to share moments of silliness or sincerity, and to let ourselves be transported somewhere brighter than the world outside. KCPT has given audiences a gift this season, wrapped in humor, heart, and hometown charm. And for anyone needing a break, a breath, or simply a good time, this is exactly the kind of show worth stepping inside for.
Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG Christmas Show runs on stage at Key City Public Theatre in Port Townsend through December 28. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://keycitypublictheatre.org.
Photo credit: Mel Carter
