‘Christmas Carol’ tradition lives on

As the song goes, there’s no place like home for the holidays, and South Coast Repertory’s veteran actors will be surrounded by friends and family on the Segerstrom Stage for the 26th consecutive year next month.

Once again, Hal Landon Jr. will don the flowing white locks and assume the miserly “Bah, humbug” attitude as he steps into the familiar character of Ebenezer Scrooge in the annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” The show opens tonight and runs through Christmas Eve.

And, once again, John-David Keller will be doing double duty as director and performer (as a charity solicitor) in the holiday classic. Both he and Landon have filled their positions for each of the 26 seasons the show has been presented.

They’re not the only familiar figures who’ll be on stage in Jerry Patch’s 1980 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved tale of rebirth and redemption. Richard Doyle, Don Took, Martha McFarland, Art Koustik and Howard Shangraw also have many years of service in their respective roles -- though only Landon and Keller boast perfect attendance.

Also on hand, once more, will be actors Daniel Blinkoff, Madison Dunaway, Timothy Landfield, Jennifer Parsons, Hisa Takakuwa and Travis Vaden, who have joined the “Carol” company relatively recently -- though Takakuwa is in her 14th season. The young ensemble includes students from the theater’s Professional Intensive Program.

Many of the show’s backstage veterans also are aboard for 2005. They include Thomas Buderwitz (sets, recreating Cliff Faulkner’s original designs), Dwight Richard Odle (costumes), Donna and Tom Ruzika (lights), Dennis McCarthy (music arrangement, composer), Drew Dalzell (sound, recreating Garth Hemphill’s original design), Dennis Castellano (vocal direction) and Linda Kostalik (choreography).

When this retelling of the classic yuletide story first began back in 1980, company members had no idea that it would spawn such an overwhelmingly popular annual event. Yet here we are in 2005, and the show has become a tradition, packing the theater for each performance.

The success of “A Christmas Carol” inspired another South Coast Repertory holiday tradition -- Octavio Solis’ Latino-flavored “La Posada Magica,” which begins its 12th annual run the following weekend. This year, Solis will step into the director’s chair to helm his fanciful story of a young girl’s rediscovery of the holiday spirit.

This show, while performed in English, is aimed particularly at Latino audiences, with some Spanish dialogue incorporated into the performance.

“A Christmas Carol” opens next weekend following a week of previews and will be presented Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays (as well as Dec. 24) at noon and 4 p.m. Tickets range from $31 to $49 and may be ordered by calling the box office at (714) 708-5555.

“La Posada Magica” arrives Dec. 9 and also plays through Christmas Eve, with evening curtains at 7:45 p.m. and matinees at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Ticket prices run from $15 to $35.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews appear Fridays.

20051125gzgnh2ke(LA)