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Show Hole Center Theatre to show y Christmas Carol' By TOM HARALDSEN One of the traditions of Christmas along the Wasatch Front is Hale Center Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol." This year's version of the Charles Dickens classic is better than ever. Featured in the Monday-Wednesday-Friday cast of this doubly-cast play is Bountiful 's veteran vet-eran actor Gordon Johnson, a delightful character named Fez-ziwig. Fez-ziwig. He joins a talented group of actors, singers and even dancers in Hale Center's ambitious effort. Leading the cast is, or course, Ebenezer Scrooge himself, portrayed magnificently by Richard G. Wilkins, who, during the four-week four-week run of this play, will have performed per-formed Scrooge for over his 200th time. Wilkins never comes out of character during the two-plus hour performance, thoroughly delighting the audience as he transforms from a penny-pinching, thoughtless miser into a benevolent believer in the spirit of Christmas (thus giving all of us hope that employers of all types may someday follow his lead). Veteran actor Merrill Dodge is Bob Cratchit, the subservient apprentice ap-prentice to Scrooge who struggles to make ends meet for his family. Rhonda Wanberg is delightful as his wife, while Jamie Lynch, Brin-ton Brin-ton Wilkins, Cindy Potts, Brooke Wilkins and Sam Dodge (as Tiny Tim) are beguiling as his children. Most everyone knows the story of "A Christmas Carol" by now. What makes this show particularly fascinating for the audience is the ambitious nature which Hale Center puts forth to depict the story. Scenery Scen-ery changes are made during performances per-formances by Christmas carolers, made up of the show's cast. A fight scene between young Ebenezer (Bob Bedore) and Dick Wilkins (Andrew Lambert) is both clever and well-done. The dancers in the cast were choreographed by Shauna Groscost, who stages a marvelous performance in the obviously ob-viously tight restraints of the Hale Center staging area. Others in the cast not to be missed include beautiful Leslie Barney as the Spirit of Christmas Past (what a smile), E. Linda Moore as Johnson's wife Mrs. Fezziwig, the lovely singing of Laura Bedore as Belle, and hilarious Tom St am as the Spirit of Christmas Present. This presentation even features wonderful violin playing by June Crosby, Laurie Gerrard and Kena Larsen. The show's only weak moments occur just after intermission, when dialogue between three Cockney derelicts whom Scrooge sees in a vision picking over his belongings following his death is much too difficult to understand. Expect that problem to be solved by the time your family sees this play, which they should. ' 'A Christmas Carol' ' plays Monday through Saturday nights through December 22, with Saturday Satur-day matinees planned as well. For ticket information, contact the theatre at 484-9257. Hale Center Theatre is located at 2801 South Main in Salt Lake City. pwwwww(fliftw m S k LrX I i i vS i - " ' ' r "A Christmas Carol' will be presented by Hale Center Theater this holiday season. The cast consists con-sists of veteran actor Merrill Dodge as Bob Cratchit, Richard G. Wilkins as Ebenezer Scrooge, Rhonda Wanberg as Cratchit's wife and Sam Dodge as Tiny Tim. M |