Photo by Brianna Dow
The holiday season is upon us, and so, as is tradition, the crew at Open Stage is gearing up for “A Christmas Carol,” that wonderful Dickens tale featuring Nicholas Hughes as Ebeneezer Scrooge. I got the chance to interview Nick about his ongoing role in the production.
TheBurg: How many years have you been doing a Christmas Carol? Do you think it provides any challenges doing it so many years in a row?
Nicholas: I think the first year I did it was 2000. The biggest challenge is, I’m getting old! But obviously one knows most of the script, and, over the years, there have been different directors and substantial script changes. The original script had been adapted by Don Alsedek’s son and was very traditional—really the whole play was taken from the original Dickens book. But when Stuart [Landon] took over the direction, he adapted a much more modern version with substantial changes. And my own attempt to play Mr Scrooge changes every year—not only from myself, but also from my fellow cast members; they’re different every year. The balance changes, and their interpretation changes.
TheBurg: You’ve lived a long time with this character, though. What is the most surprising thing that Scrooge has taught you over the years?
Nicholas: Even though the play is, by Dickens’ standards, a very short story, he’s managed to concentrate a lot of emotional response—there’s the emotional response to Christmas, the season, and what it means to people, and also about Mr. Scrooge, the sort of man he was. I mean, he lived a very gray life. He just thought the only important thing was to gather money, and anybody who wasn’t involved in increasing their own wealth was of no interest. He really was a one-dimensional person. But over the course of the play, by the visitation of the ghosts, he sees that there’s a lot more to life, and so every year I do see that a little differently.
TheBurg: I’d hope you can’t completely relate to Scrooge, but is there anything you relate to?
Nicholas: I can imagine the sort of man that he used to be, and, as I grow older, I feel that I’m realizing a lot more of the importance of things in life that one doesn’t appreciate as a younger person. So, I do feel myself growing and changing as Scrooge does. Perhaps not quite in the same way.
TheBurg: What do you hope your audiences will take away from the performance?
Nicholas: For most people, they’re not entirely unfamiliar with the story. So, it’s like when you watch a television show or a movie that you’ve seen before, you do get a certain happiness in remembering things that you knew about the play before, but also seeing new things. The more people in the cast, it’s very good for the audience because all their friends and relatives come, and that’s nice. And then you get people who are traditionalists, and they come every year because that’s what they do. Some people come because it’s Dickens, some people come because it’s Christmas. Some people come because they know the plot and they love it. Obviously, there will be people who’ve never seen it before. But hopefully once they see it once, they’ll want to see it again—not just our version! The reason why it’s been done so often is that everybody feels that they can add something of their own. My favorite version is probably the one from, I think, the 1930s with Alastair Sim. [He] is so wonderful as Scrooge. He’s just so honest in his portrayal. You just feel that this is a real person, and that’s not so true with some of the other versions—like the Muppets.
TheBurg: Do you think some of Alastair Sim’s characterization comes across in your performance, or did you try to differ it enough…?
Nicholas: I would like to think so. I try to play it straight. Obviously, it’s something you can ham up, but I don’t think that’s the way to go.
Well, Nicholas Hughes has captured our hearts for years in this role, and I don’t doubt this year will be any different.
“A Christmas Carol” runs Dec. 3 to 23 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.openstagehbg.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL DOWNTOWN THEATERS
At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-4111
Popcorn Hat Players present
“The Elves & The Shoemaker”
Dec. 3 to 17, Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Popcorn Hat Players
Countdown to Noon
Dec. 31 at 11 a.m.
TMI Improv
Last Laughs of 2022
Dec. 31, shows at 9 p.m., 10 p.m., 11 p.m.
At Open Stage
www.openstagehbg.com
717-232-6736
“Who’s Holiday!”
Nov. 26 to Dec 22
A Very Court Street Cabaret Christmas!
Dec. 2, 10, 16, 22 at 9:15 p.m.
“A Christmas Carol”
Dec. 3 to 23
“Figgy Pudding”
Rock & jazz arrangements of Christmas favorites
Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
NYC Showtune Queen Paige Turner’s
“Drag Me to Christmas”
Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
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