‘A Christmas Carol’ cast and crew has ties to Columbus

It’s not often that a national tour of a famous show boasts personal ties to Columbus. But this week, the Nebraska Theatre Caravan will bring its production of “A Christmas Carol” to the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.

So what’s so special about this show? Besides being a theatrical holiday staple, several members of the production cast and staff have personal ties to Columbus. Musical Director Steven Zumbrun recently corresponded with Sunday Arts reporter Carrie Beth Wallace to draw the unique connections between Columbus and this national tour of Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic.

Q: Is there anything in particular the Columbus audience should know about the show, Mr. Zumbrun?

A: This production of “Christmas Carol” was adapted by Columbus native Charles Jones, former producing director of the Springer Opera House. As I understand it, he was one of the group who saved the Springer from demolition in 1964 and he directed the inaugural production at the Springer after the initial restoration. His “Christmas Carol” adaptation was work shopped at the Springer once; he was then hired by Omaha Community Playhouse as artistic director. The OCP began annual productions of his adaptation each Christmas, which were very popular. In 1979, they began touring the show. Normally there are two touring companies; one touring the east coast of the U.S. and one touring the Midwest. This particular production is a combined tour encompassing venues from both the east coast and the Midwest tour. It is the 37th year touring the show. It is also the first time this show has been done in Columbus since Jones’ inaugural production at the Springer in the early 1970s.

Q: Who all in the company has worked with the Springer before?

A: I am a touring music director born and raised in Maryland. My first touring job was with the Springer Opera House’s tour of “My Way: The Music of Frank Sinatra” in 2002. The next year I got the job accompanying “Christmas Carol” on the east coast tour. I have been working for both the Springer and Nebraska Theatre Caravan ever since. This is my ninth time conducting and accompanying “Christmas Carol.” I have also done five touring and 17 Mainstage productions for the Springer Opera House. I am constantly amazed that these two companies, one in Georgia, one in Nebraska, keep calling me down from Pennsylvania — where I am now based —to do these shows.

Sandia Ahlers, who plays Nell the cart vendor in “Christmas Carol,” just played Patsy Cline in the Springer tour of “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline.” She also appeared in their tour of “Delia’s Diner.” Kim Hickman, the artistic director at Nebraska Theatre Caravan, was resident director, choreographer and assistant to Paul Pierce at the Springer for some years. She also worked on the Broadway productions of “Clybourne Park,” which won the Tony for Best Play, and “Scottsboro Boys.” Beau Bisson, who played Sinatra on my “My Way” tour, was a Booking Agent for both the Springer and Nebraska Theatre Caravan at different times.

Q: How is this production of “A Christmas Carol” different from others?

A: This production of “Christmas Carol” hews closer to the novel than many other adaptations. There are a good many Christmas carols in it, some traditional and some not so familiar. My own favorite is a rare German carol called Susanni, meaning “hosanna,” which has some of the most meltingly beautiful harmony of all time. Our band consists of myself on piano, a flutist, a clarinetist, and a bassoonist. We all travel with the production; our present flutist, Samantha Cook, has done 16 of these tours, which I believe is a record. One of the chief pleasures of this tour for me is seeing all the beautiful opera houses, much like the Springer, that you come across in the most out-of-the-way places. There’s one called the Smoot, which is a small theatre in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where we’ve been booked almost every year. I know some of the neighborhoods around these theatres better than I know my own hometown.

Q: Who all is in your cast?

A: Nebraska Theatre Caravan casts actors from all over the country. Some are from New York, some are natives of Omaha who started on the MainSt production and graduated to the tour. There are three little girls playing the Cratchit children who are accompanied on tour by a chaperone who sees to their needs and makes sure they do all their homework assignments and get enough rest, etc. Some of us have done either the east coast or Midwest tours multiple times. We started rehearsing in Omaha just before Halloween and left for tour the week before Thanksgiving. The actors and musicians travel on an Arrow Tours bus. Our wonderful crew has their own “sleeper” bus. They often travel through the night to arrive at theatres and set everything up before the rest of us get there. After the RiverCenter show we have one more show in Alabama, then we head home for the holidays.

This story was originally published December 17, 2016 at 7:32 PM with the headline "‘A Christmas Carol’ cast and crew has ties to Columbus."