A Homegrown Musical Adaptation of a Christmas Classic

The usually "goes dark" during this time of the year at little theater at the shopping scenter, yielding to the feast of Nutcrackers, "Christmas Carols," choirs and pageants in the area. 

But Blanca Florido, who has worn the hats of director, choreographer, writer and performer all around the Bay Area, decided she wanted to change that. So did Andrew Klein, a frequent musical director at NTC whose credits include the composition of numerous musicals and playing keyboards for the original production of "The Pirates of Penzance," which starred someone who shared his surname: Kevin Kline. 

Florido and Klein wanted to start a local holiday tradition, and they had their minds set on creating an original musical version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."  Once they received approval from the theater's company's board of directors, they "hit the ground running," as Florido says, to begin the work of writing, casting and producing the show.

That was just 2 1/2 months ago. The result is an original piece of work that longtime producer Gary Gonser called "definitely a first" for the troupe that dates to the 1920s.  

The show opened Thanksgiving weekend and runs through Dec. 17.

"It has been very well-received," says Florido, though she admits to a few technical glitches on opening weekend. She adds, "One viewer was sobbing by the end. I saw him and thought, 'I think I've done my job.'" 

Klein scored the music for piano and cello, and Florido wrote the lyrics. Florido calls Klein's composition "an appealing blend of period and contemporary sound."   Their intent was to focus on the smaller story of Scrooge's transformation, though most of the songs involve company singing.

"Scrooge sings [only] at the end after he's changed," Klein says. 

Klein likes the idea of premiering a musical in Novato.

"Very few people in this area have the experience of coming to a new production," he says. "There's no show cast recording. This is the original cast."

Gonser, producer and technical director of the show, built a rotating, three-room set to maximize the restricted space of the theater and says, "We are very proud of this." Through a beaming smile he continues, "The last song is heavenly, emotional and cathartic. It's one of the best productions of 'A Christmas Carol' I've ever seen."

Florido says there might be a few edits and rewrites during the shows run, which happens in any original show, but she looks forward to revisiting this production. "The sets are built," she says. "We are hoping to bring it back every year."

The sense of joy around the project is palpable. As Gonser puts it, "This is a work of love."

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"
Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 17. Tickets are $10-$18. For tickets and more information, check the company's website.