Phantasmagoria presents: A Christmas Carol & The Canterville Ghost

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If you are looking to kick off the Holiday season with a taste for the macabre, then join Phantasmagoria as they present  “Ghost Stories” this Christmas season. They will bring to life and the bitter sweet taste of death to not one but TWO whimsical classics. The well-loved A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens, followed by Oscar Wilde’s rollicking The Canterville Ghost.

I sat in on a dress rehearsal for the show at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The set felt like an abandoned attic with carousel horses flanking the stage. Projections on a large screen behind the set changed the settings with ease. I fell in love with the faint flickering candle light that illuminated the various corners of the stage.  That meant I needed to keep the scene dark so the candles could shine.

A Christmas Carol is a well loved and very familiar classic. Phantasmagoria added its dark and vaudevillian steampunk styled flair to the story. John DiDonna as Scrooge lived in the old man’s skin. I have seen him perform this roll many times over the years. Daniel Cooksley as Marley, draped in chains did an amazing job filling the stage with his his twisted and agonized self. Of the three ghosts, the ghost of Christmas future was magnificently designed. Much larger that life, the dark draped figure gestured with gnarly black branches for hands.

The Canterville Ghost offered a much lighter tale full of light hearted dance. It was the yin to Dickens dark and foreboding Yang. There are two more performances December 3–4, 2022 at the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are about $35.

A Christmas Carol: Poster Evolution

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Each poster I illustrated for the Orlando Shakes this season went through an evolution from initial concept sketches to final tweaks and refinements.

My initial concepts simply used sketches I had done at past performances. There is a big difference between a loose spontaneous sketch done in a dark theater and a final illustration, but it was a way to start getting ideas out.


I then went on to an illustration of the ghost of Christmas past in front of the raging fireplace. My thought was that we could all use some semblance of joy after more than 20 months of living with a pandemic.

Ultimately however I settled on Scrooge’s conversion on Christmas day as he holds up Tiny Tim. That visually expressed the joy I wanted without the visage of ghosts. It also helped to put a large chorus in the scene. There were other refinements to the poster involving refining chorus members, but I will not get into that minutia.

A Christmas Carol runs through December 24, 2021. The show features your favorite carols and awe-inspiring special effects, this delightful rendition tells the iconic tale of one man’s chance to change for the better. Gather together to witness the holiday magic and create a tradition for the whole family.

Phantasmagoria’s Christmas Carol

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 Phantasmagoria is proud to present One of the greatest and most enduring Ghost Stories ever told! Victorian Troupe Phantasmagoria returns to
the stage with its own unique adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic
holiday tale “A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas”.

This
critically acclaimed Victorian Performance Troupe will bring its
signature tapestry of movement, dance, puppetry, projections, music and
storytelling to the stage as one of the most famous Ghost Stories of all
times comes alive! A true tale of the Past, Present and Future – with
the glory of redemption!

Dickens’ wonderful tableau will come to
life with Phantasmagoria’s own unique aesthetic and performance style in
a brand new adaptation of the classic work. Last year’s performances
SOLD OUT fast so get your tickets now! A show good for ALL ages!

The dress rehearsal I sketched had all the bravado I have come to expect from a Phantasmagoria performance. Jacob Marley was presented as a skeleton puppet wrapped in chains. A unique head harness linked the skeleton’s head movements to the movements of the handler’s head. The ghost of Christmas past was a floating blue head with a streamer. The ghost of Christmas yet to come was the largest and most menacing enshrouded in a dark hood. with bony fingers. John DiDonna as Ebeneezer Scrooge brought plenty of energy to the part which he has performed for years. He steps into the crotchety old mans skin with ease.

Only one show date remains, Dec 15, 2018 at 8pm
John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803). Ticket prices are…

Student/Senior/Military: $15.00 regular / $40.00 VIP

Adult: $25.00 regular / $30.00 VIP

(VIP
includes early entry to pick seating, Christmas beverage (no alcohol),
Take home souvenir, and POST show performance including Poetry, Dance,
song, Magic and more!

A Christmas Carol at Orlando Shakes

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1 of 5 Prints SOLD

I have seen A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens many times so I am a bit jaded, however this production far exceeded my expectations. The set felt like an attic and there was a staircase at the front of the stage that heightened that effect. The play began with the sounds of an excited party below the stage, and then the actors walked up from that excitement onto the stage.

Steven Paterson did an amazing job as the crotchety Scrooge. Paul Bernando got to perform some very angst filled scenes as the chain covered Bob Marley’s Ghost. Amazingly he also performed as the kindly ghost of Christmas Present. Many actors got to play up to seven different characters and I didn’t even notice. Tiny Tim, played by Sebastian Cranford had the thinnest legs, making him a perfect fit for the part.

The Shakes really seems to be stepping up their game when it comes to effects in their staged productions. A ghostly door knocker was represented by a framed photo in a spotlight held by an actor from behind. When the ghostly knocker came to life the actor pressed his face into the mesh of the canvas creating a ghostly three dimensional apparition. The ghost of Christmas future was a huge hooded puppet that moved around the stage freely. A four poster bed rose from a trap door and the curtains floated down from above.

More important than the flash however was the emotional heart of the production. This is a great show to warm even the coldest heart this holiday season. It is nice to see innocence and kindness win over a hard heart.

Performances of A Christmas Carol continue through December 30, 2018 at the Orlando Shakes (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803) in the Margeson Theater.

Tickets are $30 to $53.